The Absent Years
by Neverwhere Chaos Mode
Summary: Complete! Side story to 'Lost'. Takato's adventures in the Eastern Quadrant.
1. Dark Beginings

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon. Stupid ff.net and it's stupid rules.  
  
Prologue - Dark Beginings  
  
"Ohhh… What happened?"  
  
I got groggily to my feet, and looked around.  
  
Oh boy… Am I going blind? It'd be nice to know.  
  
I stood there worrying about going blind for only a few seconds. Well, I was only standing for a few seconds anyway. Then I was knocked roughly off my feet.  
  
"Takatomon!"  
  
"Hi, boy."  
  
"Takatomon, I don't like it here. Can we go now?"  
  
"First things first, boy. Where is here? All I know is that we're in a shallow cave."  
  
"I don't know Takato, but you've been asleep for days, I feel funny, I can't see right, and there's lots of water but no fish, a lot of bad digimon running around, and no bread."  
  
_Well, that explains why I seem to be colorblind. Dark Ocean, huh. My week just gets better and better._  
  
I walked out of our shallow cave in the cliff side and looked around.  
  
_Definitely the Dark Ocean. Peachy._  
  
"Great. Just Great. First my friends hate me. Then my parents die! NOW I'M STUCK IN THE FLIPPING DARK OCEAN BETWEEN WORLDS!!!!!!"  
  
"Oh, poor baby. I've been in here for years not counting a few… brief excursions."  
  
"Go. To. Hell."  
  
"But that's what the Dark Ocean is boy. Digital hell."  
  
"Then bug someone else!"  
  
I still hadn't turned around at this point, but then a very large hand grabbed me. And then I was face to face with Daemon. I smirked.  
  
"I wouldn't if I were you."  
  
"Oh, why?"  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The tiny fireball came from below. Daemon looked down and laughed a chilling sound. Then he lifted me further, so that despite our height differences, while standing on his palm I stood eye to eye with him.  
  
"You expect that toy dino to stop me?"  
  
"No, not really. Just distract you long enough for this!"  
  
And with that, I leapt off his palm, plummeting towards the ground. I held out my hand and the familiar sensation of my body bursting into data came over me. I noted with some surprise that the red beam was actually _red_ and was the only speck of color in the place.  
  
**Biomerge  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackGuilmon Biomerge to… ChaosGallantmon!**  
  
"Most impressive boy. A dark knight digimon. Oh, no, whatever shall I do?"  
  
"Less talking, more fighting. I've got better things to do than listen to you throw speeches at me all day."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Getting out."  
  
"You can't get out. We're stuck here."  
  
"No, _you_ can't get out, but I'm willing to bet _I_ can."  
  
"Really, maybe we can help each other then…"  
  
"Tempting, but no. I'm _dark_, but evil's not my thing."  
  
I jumped and smashed the Gorgon into his face.  
  
"Fine. EVIL INFERNO!"  
  
The fight was short and uninteresting. Not being _physically_ the strongest digimon in the world hurt him in that fight. Sure, Daemon's got strong attacks, but they're virtually worthless against another dark virus. He didn't catch on until my lance burst through his back. I didn't bother to load the data. Mostly because I didn't like the thought of Daemon being part of BlackGuilmon, and because I was a little afraid that stupidity was contagious.  
  
The green cards were a bust; the only thing that happened when I scanned them was that I got that stupid **ERROR** thing to come up. A few days later I was angry and frustrated. BlackGuilmon understood perfectly, even his happy-go-lucky personality was starting to get a little frayed. Especially since there was nothing to eat, not that we had to, but eating makes BlackGuilmon comfortable. Everything is right in his world if he can eat. I wish my problems were so simple to solve.  
  
"Takatomon, I want to get out of here."  
  
"I know boy, but nothing I try seems to work. Besides, we don't really don't have anywhere else to go."  
  
Then, of course I immediately believed I was going crazy. I started seeing colors.  
  
"Uh, BlackGuilmon? Are you seeing colors too?"  
  
"Yep. They're coming from the sky."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
I looked up, and sure enough there was color streaking down from the sky. It seemed to radiate from two points that were closing on us. As they got closer I could make out what, or rather who they were.  
  
"No. Way."  
  
I stood there, slack-jawed and stunned for several seconds, and then made a decision.  
  
"BlackGuilmon dedigivolve."  
  
"All right, Takatomon."  
  
There, in the sky of the Dark Ocean was Angemon and Angewoman coming for us, T.K. and Kari directing their search. I clutched my good luck charm through my shirt, feeling its rectangular shape, hoping they were coming for me, and that BlackJyarimon, now in my hood, wouldn't be deleted.  
  
"Hey down there! Azulongmon sent us for you! He wants to see you, so we'd better go before Daemon finds us!"  
  
As we left none of us noticed the viral baby digimon watching us, hate in its tiny eyes.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"…so that's what happened. D-Reaper was destroyed, and I deleted Daemon in the Dark Ocean."  
  
I was now sitting in private audience with Azulongmon, and the Holy Beast digimon was now contemplating what I had told him. Finally the dragon spoke.  
  
"I see. Thank you for your assistance, young Takato. Now it is simply a matter of sending you home…"  
  
"NO! …uh, I mean I don't think I'd like that sir."  
  
Azulongmon gave me a questioning look.  
  
"My home was destroyed, my friends all think I'm dead, and if they didn't they would still hate me, and if I got placed in a home, some government agency would take BlackJyarimon away from me. I don't want that kind of life."  
  
"So what kind of life do you want young one?"  
  
"I'd like to live here, in the Eastern quadrant if I could Azulongmon."  
  
"It would take some doing, but I imagine I could get a Datamon to create you a life in the East quadrant. Yes, I can do that. If you'll do something for me…"  
  
_Where have I heard that line before?_  
  
"What?"  
  
"Actually I want two things. The first is never to let your digimon above rookie, excepting life and death situations. Still, try not to go above champion. And try not to use cards. You are to remain as inconspicuous as you can."  
  
"That I can do. How do I explain the C-Ark?"  
  
"You don't. Here."  
  
Azulongmon motioned with his tail, and light appeared in front of me. To my surprise an original digivice appeared in my hand.  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Relax, It's a dummy. It does nothing, but if held in front of your C-Ark, it will focus the beam to make it seem as of the light emits from it."  
  
"Ah. What's the second thing?."  
  
I want you to… help… the Digidestined."  
  
"I get the feeling that you're not talking about ChaosGallantmon deleting everything that gets in their way."  
  
"True. Your digimon is for all intents and purposes now the Catalyst. Should the Digidestined be in more trouble than they can handle, you are to use the power of the Catalyst to trigger their next digivolution."  
  
"Won't they get suspicious if a red beam comes out of the bushes? I thought in this quadrant, miscellaneous lights come out of the sky."  
  
Azulongmon chuckled.  
  
"They do, and so will yours."  
  
"None of BlackGuilmon's forms can fly… well, except BlackWarGrowlmon, but he can't go too far or too fast."  
  
"We'll work on that."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"That's it."  
  
"Deal." 


	2. Home

Chapter 1 - Home  
  
I stood with TK, Davis, Yolie, Ken, and Cody watching Azulongmon talk with that boy. They seemed to be arguing a little, because at one point the boy yelled out 'NO!' before quieting down. Finally, they walked back over to us. Well, the boy did, Azulongmon just floated. I frowned. Azulongmon had told us not to let the boy say too much to us because he was from another quadrant, and things worked differently there. And also that he would be going home after they spoke.  
  
"I thought you were sending him home Azulongmon?"  
  
"This is Takato Matsuki. He's convinced me to let him stay here. And he's right. His world would be a fairly hostile place for him right now. And before you ask, no, we can't tell you why. That's just how it's going to be. He's going to assist me in some… special… projects that he is uniquely suited for. Also, don't be too surprised if he knows more about you than he should. You're somewhat… legendary… in the southern quadrant."  
  
He glanced down at the boy before continuing.  
  
"_But_, he'll need somewhere to stay in the real world for now. I'll have a Datamon transfer his records between quadrants. He'll be a transfer student from… somewhere far off. We'll decide that later. The point is that someone needs to take him in."  
  
I glanced around.  
  
"Not me, my house is kind of full as is."  
  
"My apartment is very small, we could not support another."  
  
"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like living with Jun. I know I don't."  
  
"I've got the same problem as Cody, we just can't support anyone else."  
  
"I've got too many siblings. Adding another person might collapse the floors."  
  
TK, Davis, and I all spoke at once.  
  
"Yoooolie!!"  
  
Azulongmon cleared his throat, interrupting us.  
  
"Actually, I had someone in mind. Ken? You were aware that your parents signed up to host an exchange student weren't you?"  
  
Ken sighed.  
  
"Well you're right about that. At least it's someone we don't have to hide from."  
  
Takato was blushing heavily by now.  
  
"Sorry to be such a bother…"  
  
Ken smiled.  
  
"I'm sure we'll get along just fine, Takato."  
  
Then Azulongmon cleared his throat again. Takato blushed a little deeper.  
  
"Oh, right."  
  
He took a round black ball out of his hood and dropped it towards the ground. He aimed an odd looking digivice at it. It looked like our original ones, but was black trimmed in red. A red light shot out, and hit the ball, which I then realized was a digimon.  
  
Flash  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackJyarimon Flash Digivolve to… BlackGuilmon!  
  
What appeared before us was a large black dinosaur with red markings and bands on it, with the exception of its white belly, which had a strange black marking on it.  
  
It looked big.  
  
It looked mean.  
  
It looked hungry.  
  
Then it turned and looked at its partner with dopey look on its face. And at the sound of its voice all other thoughts about it went out the window, as it was immediately the cutest thing in the world.  
  
"Takatomon, can we eat now?"  
  
The boy sweatdropped.  
  
"No, not yet boy. We have to introduce ourselves first."  
  
"Ooooh."  
  
Then it was running for us. It stopped in front of me and lifted up on its hind legs, so that it was face to face with me.  
  
"HIIII!"  
  
He waved as he spoke. I giggled, I couldn't help it.  
  
_He might look mean at first, but he's definitely nice._  
  
"Hi, I'm Kari. And you are…?"  
  
"I'm BlackGuilmon! Takatomon, can I have bread now?"  
  
"What did I just say?"  
  
"But I did introduce myself Takatomon."  
  
He blushed, and then sighed.  
  
"I'll get around to feeding you in a minute boy."  
  
He then turned to address the rest of us.  
  
"Hi, incase you didn't catch that, my name's Takato Matsuki. This is my partner, BlackGuilmon."  
  
There was a chorus of 'Hi's and 'Hello's at that point, and BlackGuilmon went around sniffing all our digimon.  
  
"Um… why's he doing that?"  
  
Takato blinked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, you mean the sniffing thing. BlackGuilmon can 'smell' a digimon at a couple of miles, though it's really just an extra sense. He's doing that so he doesn't get alarmed when he senses them in the real world."  
  
"He's hard to take by surprise then."  
  
"In the real world, yes it's pretty hard. But in the digital world, there are just too many signals for him to rely on it effectively. Doesn't work too well at close range either."  
  
I smiled at him, and he smiled back. He seemed a little nervous. TK smiled too and began to speak.  
  
"Well, I'm just glad we were able to get to you before Demon did."  
  
He suddenly looked a little more nervous, as if the name frightened him a little.  
  
"Heh, heh, yeah… lucky me…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ken, are you sure that you're okay with this? I mean Azulongmon did drop this out of the blue on us."  
  
"I'm sure Wormmon. My parents did sign up for this, after all. It would have happened eventually. He seems like a nice enough guy."  
  
"I guess. It's just a little weird though. How did he get in the Dark Ocean anyways?"  
  
"While I do wonder Wormmon, the important thing is not to ask questions about it. Azulongmon said not to after all."  
  
"Yes, but it doesn't stop me from wondering about it."  
  
"I know, Wormmon, I know."  
  
I opened the door to the somewhat large apartment I lived in with my parents.  
  
_Well, now I have to give them the news…_  
  
"Ken dear! We've got a huge surprise! We got a call. We're getting an exchange student! Isn't it wonderful?"  
  
"Yeah, he seems like a nice guy. I met him earlier, he'll come home from school with me tomorrow."  
  
My father blinked.  
  
"Ken, how did you know?"  
  
"He's from another digital quadrant, and he apparently has nowhere to go back there, so Azulongmon pulled some strings to get him to stay here."  
  
My mother looked a little spooked, as she did with all things digital except Wormmon.  
  
"Oh. Well, in any case, you have to get your room ready for tomorrow."  
  
"All right, then. I'll see you at dinner."  
  
The arrangement of my room took very little time, clean as it always was. One concern I had was BlackGuilmon. He was just too big for the room.  
  
_Wait. He probably won't be able to support his rookie outside the digital world anyway. So he should be smaller._  
  
I lay back on my bed and slept until dinner.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mom and Dad were both out when I got home. And Kari had said something about Azulongmon wanting the younger Digidestined to take care of something for him, something last minute. I left a note and went out to get some food.  
  
Agumon trailed in the shadows behind me, being too old for stuffed animals left me with little choice. While people knew about digimon now, they weren't entirely comfortable with them. So he was back there so as not to scare people.  
  
"Tai, when will we get there? I'm hungry!"  
  
"Soon Agumon, soon."  
  
We were passing the park next to the TV station where Mr. Ishida works when I saw something. Or rather heard it. A low growl.  
  
"GRRRRRRRRRRR!"  
  
What I saw next spooked me a little. What looked like a miniature DarkTyrannomon stepped out of the bushes growling. He walked around me, straight for Agumon.  
  
"Agumon!"  
  
"PEPPER BREATH!"  
  
The small dinosaur digimon leaped aside and fired its own attack.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
Agumon ducked, and was preparing to strike again, when something else happened.  
  
"BlackGuilmon! Stop!"  
  
The thing immediately lost the feral look in its eye and turned to face the newcomer.  
  
"Takatomon, I smelled a digimon."  
  
The boy smacked his forehead.  
  
"BlackGuilmon! I told you! There are lots of friendly digimon here! You can't just attack them like we used to back home!"  
  
He turned to me.  
  
"I really hope that BlackGuilmon hasn't caused you too much trou…"  
  
His face went dead white.  
  
_What? Do I have something on my face?_  
  
"Hey Tai! I got your note; I figured you'd be here."  
  
I turned and Kari was coming towards us. She looked a little confused for a second, while the boy in front of me seemed to recover from his heart attack.  
  
"Oh, Hi Takato! What are you doing here?"  
  
Takato gestured at his partner as he spoke.  
  
"I was chasing BlackGuilmon here. He mistook Agumon for a wild digimon, and started running."  
  
I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Wild digimon a problem for some reason?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"They are in the southern quadrant."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
He smiled a little sheepishly.  
  
"Didn't Azulongmon tell you?"  
  
Kari answered for me.  
  
"All Azulongmon told us was that he wanted the younger Digidestined to report and go find you in the Dark Ocean."  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm Takato Matsuki. I'm from the southern quadrant, and this is my sometimes hard to control digimon BlackGuilmon."  
  
I smiled and held out my hand.  
  
"Tai Kamiya."  
  
He looked more than a little nervous, but shook hands with me anyways.  
  
"Well, it was nice meeting you, but we've got to go. BlackGuilmon, come on. We've go to go get something to eat."  
  
Kari looked at me, silent question in her eyes. I nodded, then looked at the boy. He was about Kari's age with brown hair, and red eyes. He was wearing a blue shirt and gray shorts.  
  
"You can come with us if you like, that's where we're going."  
  
He looked a little overwhelmed, but smiled nervously anyway.  
  
"S-Sure."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_I can't believe that I just had dinner with the greatest hero ever to grace Saturday morning cartoons._  
  
It was a bit later, and I was wandering the streets of Odaiba, trying to get a good mental map down. I had brought BlackGuilmon out a doggy bag, and now BlackJyarimon was tucked safely in my hood, snoring a little as he slept.  
  
As I walked the unfamiliar streets I felt my homesickness well up in me. I walked through town and saw people having fun with friends, and lovers on dates, I saw a child getting ice cream with his parents. I sniffed a little thinking of what I'd left behind. What wouldn't be there even if I did go back.  
  
No. West Shinjuku was behind me now. Now Odaiba was home. I would live with it. I would have new friends. I would have a new family. New people to worry about. But I also knew that there was one thing that could not be replaced here.  
  
My heart. That lay in the southern quadrant. Not attached to a place, but attached to a person.  
  
I stopped on a bridge and looked up into the full moon. I touched the picture of Rika that hung at my throat and watched for a time. Then I pulled out the picture and looked at it there under the moonlight. As I looked at it, I could almost hear her voice.  
  
_~Good luck, Goggles.~_  
  
My heart was in good hands.  
  
I put the picture away, smiled and started whistling as I walked down the road again. I needed to find a secluded place to gate to the digital world for some sleep. I had a long day tomorrow. 


	3. Pain

Chapter 2 - Pain  
  
"Watch it, _boy_."  
  
"We're the same age, _Dominic_."  
  
He growled in his throat. We stared each other down. Dominic was your average rich kid. On steroids. In other words, everything I'm not. Dominic had sun-bleached blond hair that spiked up like Tai's and blue eyes with almost feminine lashes. The kind of eyes most girls swooned over.  
  
_The kind of eyes Rika likes to turn black…_  
  
Dominic customarily wore a white muscle shirt with a blood red jacket with yellow trim, white pants, and a red headband just below his hairline on his forehead.  
  
Dominic and I had taken one look at each other and instantly decided that we didn't like each other. The tension was thick. _Really_ thick. Kinda like a volcano.  
  
Now we had reached eruption.  
  
It started simple. It always does.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dominic spoke as I was walking out. It was my first day here.  
  
"Hey, new kid."  
  
I turned.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
I said this evenly. Something about this kid set my senses off. BlackJyarimon's too, if the growling in my head was any indication. He looked me in the eye.  
  
"I don't like you, new boy."  
  
"I don't have time for this…"  
  
I tried to push past, but some of his cronies grabbed me and forced me to stay.  
  
"Stay out of my way and there won't be problems. Got it, new boy?"  
  
And then with a nod to his henchmen, he left, and they followed closely after, leaving me to ponder this new situation.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Of course it was not two days later that I accidentally bumped into him again, and got myself into my present predicament.  
  
We weren't in class. Heck, school wasn't even in session. I was just out on one of the walks I'd taken to since I'd come here.  
  
_Time to think and relax… usually._  
  
I tried to back up, after all, physical combat is ChaosGallantmon's specialty, not mine. His goons seemed to materialize out of nowhere to latch on to me and hold me in place.  
  
_This will not go well…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A couple hours later I stumbled into the apartment where I lived with Ken and his family. His father was working, his mother shopping, and he himself on a date with Yolie. So the place was mine for now.  
  
**Flash  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackJyarimon Flash Digivolve to… BlackGuilmon!**  
  
BlackGuilmon was coming towards me immediately, and helped me to the bathroom.  
  
"Takatomon, you shouldn't let them do that to you."  
  
"Wish I could boy, wish I could."  
  
"I could have!"  
  
I sighed. I felt like I'd been used as a punching bag. Which, essentially, I had.  
  
"Yes, but then people would find out about you, and they're not supposed to."  
  
He sighed, and so did I.  
  
_Rika at least would have gone down fighting… That's it!_  
  
"BlackGuilmon, I've made a decision."  
  
"To make me more bread?"  
  
"No, but it's a thought. If you'll help me."  
  
"I'd help you even if I didn't get bread Takatomon!"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Thanks boy. Starting tomorrow, we do two things when I'm not in school. One: Train. Rika and Renamon trained constantly. And if we're going to be fighting alone a lot, we need to too. And number two: I have to get a job."  
  
"Why do you need a job Takatomon?"  
  
"To pay for your extra bread."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I had just made a small mistake. I had just told Izzy where Takato came from. He was, well… ecstatic, to say the least.  
  
"The southern quadrant? You're kidding!? I've got to meet this kid… The things I could learn… Where is he?"  
  
_Oh no._  
  
"He's at Ken's place Izzy. And you can't learn anything from him, Azulongmon doesn't want us asking too many questions, something about tampering and a 'different way of doing things'."  
  
"TK… No, you're right. There is such a thing as being too curious. I'd still like to meet him though. Maybe he can come to the reunion next month…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TK, Davis, and Ken caught me in the halls the next day. My face was doing a lot better. It must not have been too bad, as no one really noticed.  
  
"Reunion!? I'm not sure TK, I mean, I'm not even one of you guys…"  
  
_Knowing me, I'll slip and say something I shouldn't…_  
  
"Oh, come on Takato. You're not a Digidestined here, but you are back home right?"  
  
"Well, we don't call ourselves that…"  
  
"Well you're the equivalent anyway, right? That officially makes it okay for you to be there!"  
  
"You're not helping Davis…"  
  
"Oh come on Takato! It'll be fun! We'll tell you all kinds of stories about the things we did! Then you can tell your stories! Oh, wait never mind…"  
  
I thought about this for a second.  
  
"Well… There are some stories that would be okay. I can't talk about any battles, but some of the stuff outside of battle was pretty funny."  
  
Davis grinned and gave me a hearty slap on the back.  
  
"That's the spirit! Come on guys, we're going to be late for class!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
After launching the attack at the figures in the darkness, I turned and ran. I ran for my life. I ran for what seemed like forever. The landscape was dim, shadowy, and unclear. I could see definite shapes, but no details. I could hear my breathing come in quick gasps. The only other sound was the thumping of my heart, until I heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind me. I felt my chest tighten in fear. Then, a shape darted out in front of me.  
  
_A SaberLeomon?_  
  
Then, to my shock and increased fear, Jeri's voice issued from its mouth.  
  
"You can't escape Takato…"  
  
Another quick movement to my left, and I barely didn't bring my shield up in time to block Sakuyamon's staff.  
  
"Give it up, Gogglehead!"  
  
_Rika._  
  
Her voice sounded cold, merciless. Then I heard the clank of metal behind me. I didn't dare take my eyes off the two in front of me.  
  
_Probably MegaGargomon…_  
  
"He won't listen Rika. You know how he is. Stubborn and evil. Who else could create Megidramon?"  
  
Henry sounded like he was _really_ angry. A new voice issued from the shadows as Justimon leapt down.  
  
"And who else would force their digimon onto its darker evolution chain? His little monster is just as bad as he is. You're a disgrace Takato!"  
  
From somewhere inside I could feel my anger well up. Some inner voice called out to me, and I couldn't hold myself back. So I let loose, and lost myself to the anger.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The attack flew straight into Sakuyamon, who had not moved from her previous position, and slammed her back. I rushed Jeri in front of me.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The attack slammed into her, the same as it had Rika. Then I heard a laugh from beside me. I looked to see Sakuyamon getting up, not a scratch on her.  
  
_What the…_  
  
She smirked.  
  
"Naughty, naughty, Gogglehead."  
  
Then, she opened her hand, and dropped my goggles to the ground. Then crushed them, grinding her heal down on to them.  
  
"I'll do it to you next Gogglehead! Just you wait!"  
  
I heard movement and looked sharply left, to see SaberLeomon getting back on its feet, no apparent harm done.  
  
_Crap…_  
  
"MEGA BARRAGE!"  
  
The first few salvos slammed into my back, before I managed to dodge behind the unsuspecting Justimon. To my shock, when the dust cleared, the three of the were standing in a line, Sakuyamon and Justimon flanking MegaGargomon, and SaberLeomon pacing in front of them.  
  
_If I'm going out, I'm going out fighting!_  
  
I launched myself at them, not unleashing an attack, that would be futile, but with shield and lance raised. SaberLeomon matched my rush with its own.  
  
"HOWLING CRUSHER!"  
  
Not stopping to finish the job, I swatted SaberLeomon out of the air with my lance.  
  
"SPIRIT STRIKE!"  
  
"GARGO MISSLE!"  
  
"VOLTAGE BLADE!"  
  
Using Justimon's head as a kick off point, I flew at MegaGargomon, knocking the air out of him, and throwing him for a loop. I spun to meet Sakuyamon's staff with my shield, and found…  
  
…nothing. Then, the staff slammed into my back, knocking me from my digivolution. I lay there panting, trying to catch my breath. The four gathered around me, boxing me in. Beside me, BlackGuilmon growled noticeably. Then he glowed.  
  
**Digivolution­_  
  
BlackGuilmon Warp Digivolve to… BlackMegidramon!**  
  
The dark dragon was a sight to behold, and as it appeared, there was laughter in the background. An insane cackle, dark and evil. For a moment, everyone just listened to the laughter. Then, it was a blur of motion. His razor tail slammed into SaberLeomon, piecing its chest, Jeri letting out an earth shattering scream, and burst into data, quickly being absorbed by BlackMegidramon.  
  
Justimon, Sakuyamon, and MegaGargomon pounded futilely at his chest while BlackMegidramon swung his bladed arm, slicing Justimon in half and absorbing the excess data. BlackMegidramon looked with contempt at MegaGargomon.  
  
"MEGIDO BLAZE!"  
  
The attack hit Henry head on, and he and Terriermon were no more. Then, he looked down at the shocked Sakuyamon. I couldn't will myself to do anything, like the ringing laughter was my own. With unbelievable speed, Black Megidramon grabbed Sakuyamon, and began crushing her in a single hand. They struggled, even to the point that Rika and Renamon separated. I watched as they yelled and screamed, begging for mercy. Then, Renamon was first, bursting into data, quickly being sucked down by my infernal creation.  
  
Rika was next. I watched horrified, but unable to turn away, any more than I could command BlackMegidramon to stop. BlackMegidramon stopped playing then, and gave a final squeeze, and Rika popped like a pimple, more blood than I had thought possible came pouring down. Her head landed at my feet. The head was not lifeless, as it looked up at me, hatred in its eyes. Then, without prompting, her head exploded, covering me in dripping blood.  
  
BlackMegidramon roared, and the laughter intensified. Though I could not stop my actions, my mind shrank back internally, horrified at what had just happened. Horrified at the voice. For I now recognized it.  
  
It was my own.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke with a cold sweat, breathing heavily. I leapt out of bed and ran for the bathroom, where I collapsed over the toilet and immediately vomited noisily. Ken came in.  
  
"Takato, what's wrong!"  
  
"Nothing, Ken. Bad dream is all. I'll be all right in a bit."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"No… I'll be okay."  
  
"All right. If you say so… But listen, I'm here if you need me."  
  
"I know Ken. I'm going to clean up here before going back to bed."  
  
He nodded slowly.  
  
"Goodnight Takato…"  
  
"Goodnight Ken."  
  
He turned and left the bathroom.  
  
_Sorry, Ken._  
  
I trudged back to the room, still more than a little shaken. BlackJyarimon looked at me from the tissue filled shoebox he slept in beside the bed in. There was a discolored spot in front of him.  
  
"Takatomon! I had a bad dream! We… we…"  
  
"Attacked the other Tamers?"  
  
I asked this softly, not wanting to wake the room's other occupants. My black little ball nodded, his moving eyes the only indication.  
  
"Then I got a bad tummy ache, and I threw up."  
  
_That explains the discolored patch._  
  
"I had the same dream. Come on boy, get out of there. We'll get you some more tissues for that bed."  
  
He hopped out and onto my shoulder. I got dressed, Black Jyarimon moving only when necessary, the little guy was shuddering. We walked into the kitchen, and I got a pad and pencil. I glanced at the clock.  
  
_About six.  
  
'Went out to get some fresh air. Be back about seven. Takato'_  
  
"Let's go. We should be back soon."  
  
"Right Takatomon!"  
  
I noticed the pouring rain and got my umbrella out. We walked into the cutting rain, BlackJyarimon on my shoulder instead of in my hood. BlackJyarimon and I talked as we walked, and soon we were off the dream and on to more pleasant matters. We laughed as the rain poured onto the umbrella. Me, my digimon, and a good laugh.  
  
_Life is good._


	4. Concerning Jobs and Food

Chapter 3 – Concerning Jobs and Food  
  
"Takatomon I'm hungry!"  
  
"BlackJyarimon, I don't think that anyone is going to serve anyone, much less a Digimon, at 6:30 in the morning."  
  
"But Takatomon, I smell bread!"  
  
"BlackJyarimon…"  
  
But BlackJyarimon wasn't listening. He hopped off my shoulder like he had done the other night.  
  
**Flash  
Digivolution­_  
  
BlackJyarimon Flash Digivolve To… BlackGuilmon!**  
  
And then he took off.  
  
"BlackGuilmon! Come back here!"  
  
But, he was listening to his stomach more than he was me.  
  
"Hurry Takatomon!"  
  
We ran through the streets, me following BlackGuilmon closely, still tying to catch him.  
  
_When it comes to food, he's rarely obedient…_  
  
Then, there, in front of us, stood a small bakery with its lights on. BlackGuilmon rushed up the small steps, and carefully opened the door. And went inside. I burst in after him.  
  
"BlackGuilmon!"  
  
He turned and looked at me, a pleading look in his eyes. I took this opportunity to glance around a bit. The shop was relatively small, with a few tables. Apparently the place was a small deli as well. My hungry friend was looking through the glass with undisguised longing. Then the owner came up to the front.  
  
"Sorry to keep you wai…"  
  
He stopped, eyes on BlackGuilmon. Then he spotted me.  
  
"This your digimon boy?"  
  
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, he's just a little hungry right now. I'm kinda surprised you're taking it so well though. Considering recent events and all."  
  
"Yes, well that nice boy, Matt, comes in here with his Gabumon all the time to get some food before practice. I guess you could say I'm a little used to it."  
  
The man was and older gentleman, his thinning hair just beginning to turn gray from it's natural black. He wore a kind, open expression, and it seemed to give off an aura of trust.  
  
"Ah. Well… are you open? I'd like to get BlackGuilmon here something if I could."  
  
"Well, I've got a few things, day-old stuff mind you. Right now I'm trying to get today's bread ready. The other lad quit, so I'm a little shot handed right now."  
  
"Really? I don't suppose I could try for the position?"  
  
"You want to get up early and work in a deli?"  
  
"Might as well. I need to find a job pretty soon anyways."  
  
"I suppose I could give you a trial run… when can you start?"  
  
"I could start now if you need me to."  
  
"Great. Let's see what you know."  
  
As I stepped around the counter, he offered me his hand.  
  
"I'm James Telerno."  
  
"Takato Matsuki."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You're good at this. You do this before Takato?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"My parents owned a bakery. Before, well…"  
  
A small look of understanding passed over his face.  
  
"Oh, I see. Not a runaway from social services are you?"  
  
"No. I'm staying with a friend."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Good. You're hired. You need to be here by 5:00 AM tomorrow."  
  
I nodded.  
  
_Good bread takes time to bake._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on BlackGuilmon! One more lap! We've got to keep pushing! We've got to be stronger!"  
  
"Can we be stronger tomorrow Takatomon?"  
  
I laughed.  
  
"I suppose we can stop for now boy."  
  
I flopped down on the grass, exhausted. BlackGuilmon lay down beside me, breathing heavily. School had been largely uneventful; the only thing remotely interesting was Davis's reminder that the reunion was this weekend.  
  
I glanced around. This section of the park was extremely secluded, perfect for a digimon and his partner to train without being noticed. We lay there for a bit, just relaxing, when Kari and Tai came into view.  
  
_Those two are really close…_  
  
"Hey Takato!"  
  
I sat up and faced them, BlackGuilmon copying.  
  
"Hi Kari…"  
  
"Why were you doing that?"  
  
I blinked.  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Training like that. I mean, it's not often you see that kind of determination."  
  
"Oh. Habit I guess."  
  
"Habit?"  
  
"It's southern quadrant stuff."  
  
Tai spoke up then.  
  
"Just what about the southern quadrant makes training yourself to death a habit? …Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"No, it's all right. Really. I know exactly the things I can and can't mention to you guys. This should be okay to explain. You guys have seen huge battles that spanned the digital, and occasionally, human world. The rest of the time, it's more or less at peace. The southern quadrant isn't like that. There's only been one huge crisis there, but there is constant fighting between individuals."  
  
Tai looked a little confused.  
  
"Why sould they want to do that?"  
  
"Survival of the fittest. The only goal in the southern quadrant is digivolving. So, the digimon constantly fight and delete each other in order to do so. Only a handful make it to the human world, but the ones that do usually only want two things. Destruction, or a partner. Many seek partners as a step for power."  
  
I shivered a bit, remembering IceDevimon.  
  
"Sounds harsh."  
  
"It is. But sometimes good things happen too."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Unfortunately, all of the good things back home are either things I'm forbidden to talk about, or things that the worlds share in common."  
  
"So almost anything that you can tell us will be gloomy?"  
  
"Essentially. There were a lot of good things, but I can't talk about them because it would make you question yourselves."  
  
_After all, if a Biomerge Digivolution is the result of the strongest of bonds, then they might start to doubt themselves too much…_  
  
"That's depressing."  
  
"Why are you two out here, anyways?"  
  
"Oh, we were reserving an area for the reunion tomorrow. We start a noon, or when Mimi's plane comes in, if it's late."  
  
"Ah. Well, BlackGuilmon and I should be getting home anyways. Come on boy."  
  
"Okay Takatomon. Bye Kari, bye Tai!"  
  
"Bye, BlackGuilmon, see you tomorrow."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I sat up suddenly, an alarm blaring in my ear. I reached over and shut off the alarm.  
  
_4:30? Why would I get up at 4:30? Oh right. Job._  
  
I grumbled a bit at the alarm. The earphones it connected to were important, though. I didn't want to wake the other occupants of the room. Oh, they knew I would be leaving for my job, but it was still courteous to not wake everyone else in the process. I yawned and stretched, working some kinks out of my neck. Then I gathered some clothes and headed for the shower. Completing the rest of my hygienic rituals as quietly as possible, I dressed and exited, BlackJyarimon in tow.  
  
I reached the Deli about twenty minutes after I woke, and, with a few words to Mr. Telerno, set to work on the day's bread, while BlackGuilmon helped himself to the day-old day-old bread, occasionally fetching things or carrying trays.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Tai owes me for this. Why did I have to agree to get the food for today? But then, he is right. The grub that me and the band get here is really good. I just hope he can handle the load. He's been understaffed lately._  
  
Gabumon and I had just turned the corner onto the street where the Telerno Deli stood, when he stiffened.  
  
"Matt! Over there in the alley behind the Deli!"  
  
I looked, and there was a digimon. It was unusual looking, what with the bat-like ears on what was obviously a dinosaur's body. It was fumbling with the doorknob that led into the Deli, when it stiffened, and its eyes seemed to glow. Then it turned and faced us. It looked at Gabumon and crouched, obviously readying itself for battle.  
  
"Gabumon, get ready…"  
  
Then it looked at me, and I didn't like the look in its eyes at all. Feral, instinctive, beserk. Then the thing blinked, cocked its head as if listening to something, and went back to trying to open the door. The door opened from the inside, and a boy wearing an apron stepped out. He let the digimon in and turned to face me.  
  
"Sorry, BlackGuilmon's instincts get the better of him sometimes."  
  
"Oh."  
  
_Oh yeah. That sounded intelligent._  
  
The kid smiled.  
  
"Usually BlackGuilmon's really nice. He only does that with every digimon he doesn't know. At least this time he asked me what to do before he started attacking."  
  
"He attacked someone?"  
  
The kid sighed.  
  
"Yeah. Tai's Agumon. I'm just glad I got there before they actually hit each other with an attack."  
  
I smiled. Then I frowned.  
  
"I thought we knew all the digidestined around here. Who are you?"  
  
The kid blinked. I mean he looked really confused. Then he started mumbling something I couldn't hear.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Sorry. I was sure that they would have told you though."  
  
"Told me what?"  
  
"I'm Takato Matsuki. I'm from the southern quadrant."  
  
"Oh. Um… Matt. Matt Ishida."  
  
_Oh yeah, that's real smart. Second time I've done that in single conversation! Now the kid's gonna think I'm stupid or something._  
  
Takato grinned.  
  
"A lot to take in, I know. But hey, I'll explain more later. I have to get back to work now."  
  
"Later when?"  
  
He blinked, then shook his head.  
  
"They haven't told you anything, have they? I'll be there at the reunion later. Although, between you and me, I think I'm just being used as a conversation piece or something. I don't really belong there. Gotta go!"  
  
The kid ducked back inside the shop and left me and Gabumon standing speechless out there.  
  
"Come on Gabumon, we're going in."  
  
"All right Matt."  
  
He walked towards the vacant alley.  
  
"No, not that way, the front."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We'll talk to the kid later. Right now we still need to order some food for it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
So, we walked around to the front of the building. I walked in the door and was greeted by the tinkle of a small bell. Then I was thrown out the door by my girlfriend, Jun Motomia.  
  
No, Jun wasn't angry with me, she was just… over enthusiastic. _Very_ over enthusiastic. She also appeared to be very pleased with me, if the way she smiled down at me as she straddled my chest was any indicator. She had apparently launched herself at me in greeting, neglecting the door. While my bruised body would appreciate it if she toned it down a little bit, the fact that Jun was so honest about her feelings and her thoughts was the thing that had attracted me to her in the first place. She honestly liked me, and not just because I was in a moderately successful band.  
  
How did I know? She said so herself. And I always knew that Jun was telling the absolute truth. Or what she believed to be the truth. If she was wrong, she said 'oops' and went on with her life, no regrets.  
  
_Something else I admire a about her…_   
Jun smiled down at me and got up off of me, extending her hand. I let her help me off of the ground, something I had sworn I would never let anyone but TK, Gabumon, or Tai do. But with Jun, I needed all the help I could get. Slinging my arm around her waist, I entered the shop, where Gabumon waited, a pained expression on his face.  
  
_I think he finds it a bit embarrassing…_  
  
I escorted Jun up to the counter and started speaking to Mr. Telerno. Then I noticed BlackGuilmon looking out from the kitchen area. He was looking at Gabumon. Then he glanced up at me, and smiled.  
  
"HIII!"  
  
"BlackGuilmon, come get the trash again, would you?"  
  
The dino turned back into the kitchen.  
  
"Okie Dokie, Takatomon!"  
  
I chuckled. Mr. Tolerno smiled as well.  
  
"I must admit I was a little apprehensive when young Takato there brought his digimon to help him, but its working great."  
  
"What's he do?"  
  
"He seems to mostly fetch things for Takato, take out the trash, and other simple things, like get trays out of the oven. Takato does all the hard work. The little guy gets paid with the bread that's too old to sell."  
  
I laughed.  
  
"Really listens to his stomach huh?"  
  
"Yes. Its good to see some fun in the kitchen for a change. Always so dull before."  
  
"Do you think my order will be ready on time?"  
  
"Certainly. I imagine Takato back there will even help you carry it down to the park there."  
  
"That would be nice. It was one of the things I was worried about. Well, I'll see you later then."  
  
"Any time, Matt, any time."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
***Attention passengers. We will be landing shortly. Please make sure your seat-backs and trays are in their upright and locked positions, and your seatbelts are fastened. Thank you.***  
  
_All right! I'm finally going to see my friends again!_   
"I just wish we could do this more than just once a year…"  
  
"What was that Mimi?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Nothing Palmon."  
  
"Are you sure, Mimi. Is this about Michael?"  
  
"No Palmon, it's not about Michael. He can go jump off a bridge for all I care. I was just wishing that we could come see all our friends more often."  
  
"Oh. We could always see them in the digital world you know. I know, but it's better that we don't hold any gatherings in there. I know it's a little superstitious, but something bad always happens when we do that."  
  
Now it was Palmon's turn to sigh.  
  
"Yeah. Its always a mess when we meet there."  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Cheer up Palmon. Its time we stopped focusing on the negative. We're going to see all our friends today."  
  
"Yeah, you're right Mimi. Besides, the email we got _did_ say something about a surprise, didn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, I wonder what it is?" 


	5. Reunion

Chapter 4 - Reunion  
  
"Mimi! Over here!"  
  
She blinked at me, then smiled.  
  
"Hi Izzy! Where is everyone?"  
  
"They're at the park already, getting set up. I volunteered to come get you."  
  
"Oh, well we should hurry then. Come on; let's get my bags and get moving."  
  
She walked over, Palmon in her arms, and we talked about little things while walking to baggage claim. At the carousel, we waited patiently for her bags. I looked over at her. She still had her bright pink hair, and was wearing green blouse and blue jeans.  
  
_She's beauti… STOP RIGHT THERE KOUSHIRO IZUMI! She's one of your best friends! That's not how you're supposed to think of her!_  
  
Blushing madly from my thoughts, I took her two bags like a gentleman, and almost turned to go.  
  
"Wait, Izzy…"  
  
"Y-Yes?"  
  
"I've got four bags."  
  
I blinked.  
  
_Why am I not surprised?_  
  
"Um… Mimi? I thought you were only staying a week…"  
  
She looked at me like I knew nothing, which, apparently, I didn't.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Oh."  
  
_I think four bags would hold my entire wardrobe. Why can't girls pack light?_  
  
We claimed her other two bags, and then walked out to my car. We laughed and talked some more as we headed for the park.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I smiled as Izzy commented on some antic of Tai's. It really was amusing the trouble that he could get himself into and out of in just a couple of days. I glanced sideways at my traveling companion. Izzy was a little shorter than me, his 5' 6" to my 5' 8", but he had really matured in the last year. His face had finally settled into a mature cast, and he seemed to be finally taking an interest in his appearance, if the fact that his hair now was combed instead of the loose tangled fashion he'd had before.  
  
I laughed at another jest of Izzy's.  
  
_He's certainly branching out…_  
  
The most recent thing that had happened was Matt making a fool of himself at a party. That wasn't unusual. Izzy at a party that had more than just us destined was, however, and I laughed more at that than at Matt spilling an entire punch bowl on himself and Jun in the middle of a room full of at least thirty other people. I smiled.  
  
"So what's really going on here Izzy?"  
  
"What do you mean, Mimi?"  
  
"I mean, the surprise, I couldn't get anything out of Tai when he called."  
  
"Oh, that. There's a new guy joining us this year. I can't tell you much since I haven't met him yet myself. He's living at Ken's place, he's about the same age as the younger kids."  
  
"Really. I wonder what he's like."  
  
"I'm not sure, but TK says his digimon is a dark virus type."  
  
"A dark virus?"  
  
"Yeah. Apparently it doesn't cause any problems though."  
  
"Hmmmm. Well, I'm sure he's okay if Ken's willing to trust him."  
  
"Yes, that was my though as well, though it centered more around Azulongmon than Ken."  
  
I smiled. I also noticed he looked a little tense.  
  
"So, what have _you_ been up to Izzy?"   
He spluttered in response, like I had just dropped a bomb on him.  
  
"M-Me?!"  
  
I laughed.  
  
_Izzy sure got fun to be around…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Where is he?! He should have been here a half hour ago!"  
  
"Oh, quit worrying so much Tai! He'll get here when he gets here."  
  
"Easy for you to say Kari. You're not the starving on here."  
  
"Calm down, Tai. Matt will get here."  
  
"Gee, Thanks for backing me up Agumon."  
  
"No problem Tai!"  
  
_Agumon's great and all, but sometimes he could be a bit less naïve… or maybe he does it just to bug me._  
  
Then there was the sound of a car engine shutting down, and I looked over to see Izzy helping Mimi and Palmon out of his car.  
  
"Well, two down, two to go."  
  
"Ahem!"  
  
I looked over to see Tentomon and Palmon glaring at me.  
  
"Sorry. Four down."  
  
Then, a dark form darted out of the bushed near them, causing Mimi to freak out and jump backwards into Izzy, who tumbled and fell over, Mimi landing in his lap. They both blushed insanely before Mimi scrambled off of him. The dark form, more formally known as BlackGuilmon, rushed up to me.  
  
"Tai, Takatomon says to tell you that he and Matt are coming, but making the food took him longer than he thought."  
  
"Takato's helping with the food?"  
  
"Uh-huh. Takatomon gets up real early and works in a food place."  
  
"Right. Well, tell him to hurry."  
  
The little thing cocked his head like he was listening to something.  
  
"Takatomon said something I don't understand."  
  
"You were talking to him?"  
  
"Uh-huh. BlackGuilmon and Takatomon always together."  
  
I sighed. Any straight answers would obviously have to come from Takato himself. I crouched so that I was face to face with the large rookie.  
  
"All right. Repeat Takato's exact words. Maybe I'll understand."  
  
He nodded, and frowned, as if concentrating.  
  
"Takatomon said 'Hold your digimon. We're coming.' Why does Takatomon want you to hold your digimon Tai?"  
  
I groaned and fell back on my butt.  
  
_I wonder if Takato goes through this daily. I wonder how he does it._  
  
Then Mimi decided that staring stupidly at our exchange wasn't fun anymore. Or she was being polite to wait until we were finished. Either way, she spoke.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
I just stared at her.  
  
_How should I know what's going on!? I don't know much more than you!_  
  
Luckily, Ken came to my rescue.  
  
"This is BlackGuilmon, Mimi. He's the partner of Takato, a guy we rescued a few weeks ago from the Dark Ocean. They're originally from the southern quadrant."  
  
"Really? Wow. The stories must be neat."  
  
"If he could tell anyone, Azulongmon doesn't want him tampering with the way things are here."  
  
"Oh. Weird."  
  
"Understatement of the century. And now they're telepathic?"  
  
"Only with each other, Tai."  
  
I spun. There stood Takato, Gabumon, Matt, and Jun, all laden down with food and other things. Matt grinned.  
  
"Give us a hand here!"  
  
"Oh, right, sorry."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked at the large black rookie who had frightened me earlier. Tai said everyone was a bit frightened at first. Now I couldn't help but smile as he sat under a tree eating. He had a pile of small loaves of bread and an open jar of peanut butter. Some of it was smeared across his face as he chewed on, obviously enjoying himself. I looked over at his digi…  
  
_No, tamer._  
  
I had to keep reminding myself about that. When I asked him why, he said that things were done a little differently back home. The word 'tamer' didn't sit right with me. But, BlackGuilmon seemed very happy and well taken care of, so I let it pass. I returned my wandering thoughts to what Sora was saying to me.  
  
"So, Mimi. How are things going in America these days?"  
  
"Oh, pretty good, not much different than here really."  
  
Sora smiled.  
  
"That's not quite what I meant Mimi. How are _you_ doing?"  
  
I had misunderstood the question on purpose. My personal life didn't need to be pried open right now.  
  
"I'm fine Sora. Really."  
  
"Are you sure? The Michael thing not getting to you too much?"  
  
"It's all right Sora. Ancient history."  
  
"All right. I'm here if you need me."  
  
"I know, Sora, I know."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Poor Mimi._  
  
I sighed and looked around. Mimi was walking over to where Izzy and Joe were discussing something. Tai and Matt were arm wrestling while Davis looked on in adoration. TK and Ken were discussing something as well, laughing as they did so, Kari and Yolie with them. Cody was chatting with some of the digimon, who were in their own groups. The newest arrival, BlackGuilmon was asleep among his food under the tree and his tamer… was nowhere to be found.  
  
_Weird. Probably nothing, but still…_  
  
I glanced around the clearing again, just to make sure. I spotted him. He was at the edge of the clearing, looking at us. One look in his eyes took my breath away.  
  
_How does he get up in the morning?_  
  
What I saw was pain. Unbearable pain. Enough it made me want to cry, and I was looking at it from twenty feet away. Suddenly, he turned and made his way through the trees. A hasty decision later, I followed. I found him a short time later, sitting next to the lake, half-heartedly tossing stones in.  
  
"Are you all right, Takato?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I don't believe that."  
  
He smiled a little.  
  
"Rika always did say I was a bad liar."  
  
"What's wrong Takato?"  
  
"Nothing. Really. Just a little homesick, that's all."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"Not really. I probably shouldn't anyways, what with Azulongmon's warnings and all."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Will you be okay?"  
  
"Eventually."  
  
He looked back at the lake with a long sigh. I turned to go.  
  
"The beach was one of Jeri's favorite places you know."  
  
I turned back.  
  
"Jeri liked the sound of waves crashing on the rocks. Said it reminded her of when her mother was still alive."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. Jeri was really something special. Her partner was a Leomon. He always said she had a lion's heart."  
  
He was still facing the water, but his head was tilted back, looking up into the sky. A small tear came out of his left eye as he spoke.  
  
"I can still remember. Despite everything that happened. I still remember him saying those words as he was deleting."  
  
My breath caught in my throat.  
  
"He was deleted?"  
  
"Yeah. In the digital world."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"When he was deleted, BlackGuilmon and I… we…"  
  
He closed his eyes and put his head between his knees as he trailed off.  
  
"You did what Takato?"  
  
When he looked back up his face was like a wooden mask. He spoke with no emotion.  
  
"I got angry. Really angry. Back then, the connection between BlackGuilmon and myself was just emotions, no words. But my anger carried through. BlackGuilmon went into his corrupted digivolution, out for blood. But I was more the monster than he was. I had every chance to simply end the battle and save us all. But I let my anger run away with me."  
  
The wooden mask started to crack at this point, and I saw the pain again, but mixed with self-loathing this time.  
  
"I made him kill the other digimon slowly, wrapping his tail around him, crushing him. Then, I made him launch an attack, ending it. Only then, after the battle was over, did I fully realize what I had done. But Jeri was more angry with me than anything else. She made us leave, forever."  
  
"Takato… you did the right thing…"  
  
"How could that be true?! I caused them nothing but trouble, and now they all hate me! I was the one at fault. Me!"  
  
"Would whatever it was have been satisfied with killing Leomon?"  
  
"No, but…"  
  
"But nothing. If your old friends can't see that then they don't deserve to be called your friends."  
  
He smiled a little then.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Are you coming back now?"  
  
"No. I'm going to stay here a while longer. The party back there reminds me too much of the last time my old friends and I were together before… everything."  
  
I nodded again.  
  
"Cheer up soon, huh?"  
  
"I'll try. I just need some time, Sora."  
  
I turned and walked back to the party.  
  
_He'll work it out._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lay there in my bed that night thinking about the day's events. Something significant had happened in my talk with Sora, I was sure of it. I just wasn't sure what.  
  
When I closed my eyes I always saw what happened that day. Between that and the fictional nightmares, I never got much sleep. But this time when I closed them, I was a bit more detached. I saw things that I hadn't before. My imagination? Maybe. I had always concentrated on Jeri's face before, even though I had looked at and to all the others. As I looked with my mind's eye, I realized that I might have been wrong.  
  
_Maybe they don't hate me after all…_  
  
This time when I looked, I saw confusion and shock on their faces, reminiscent of someone completely stunned. I felt a little better knowing that, or at least opening up the possibility. Stunned I could understand. I had been that way myself when I had come to my senses. I pulled my good-luck charm out from under my shirt and looked at Rika's slightly flushed face again. I smiled and kissed it softly. I lay back, and had my first night in awhile that wasn't plagued by nightmares.  
  
_Good night, My Queen._


	6. Trouble

Chapter 5 - Trouble  
  
_This has got to be the most thoroughly evil teacher I've ever encountered._  
  
Mr. Crider was bad. He was evil on a level that Ms. Asaji could never dream of being. For starters, this guy was probably ex Special Forces in some military group. Seriously. The guy was huge! I couldn't figure out why he was teaching math and not some phys. ed. program. The guy's arms were like tree trunks, and he apparently had neither a neck nor a forehead. He constantly wore a very straight suit to school every day.  
  
The first day I walked in, he assigned me every assignment they had done that year, and gave me a week to do them! Then there was the way he taught. He scribbled incomprehensively on the board and his customary lecture voice was a loud bellow. The tests were worse than anything I had ever seen before. They were word problems, and hard ones at that, but they were set up so that every problem depended on the answer to the one before it. So if you missed the first question, _all_ of the answers were wrong.   
  
Then there was the way he handed tests back. Like he was dong now. The tests were in order of the grade, in _descending order_. He started out passing things back with a light smile, but by the time he got to the bottom of the stack, where mine usually resided, he had a scowl. Even if they didn't know your exact grade, everyone in the class knew the approximate score. Today my test was last. Dead last. The person who gets dead last gets to stay after school for… something. We don't know what. Nobody who goes through it talks - ever.  
  
"Matsuki, see me after school…"  
  
I gulped.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You're late Matsuki."  
  
"I'm sorry sir, I had to clean some things in my last class."  
  
"I don't care! You leave someone else to do it next time!"  
  
_I was the only one left!_  
  
Somehow, I didn't think that argument would work, so I simply agreed.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Now, Matsuki, this is what you're going to do. You're going to scrub every inch of this room, and the cafeteria. Including the kitchen!"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
_This is not good._  
  
He handed me a relatively small sponge.  
  
"And Matsuki."  
  
"Yes sir?"  
  
"If you breath a word about this to _any_ of your classmates, you'll fail the semester, guaranteed. _After_ you scub down the entire school."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
_It's gonna be a long night._   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day I made a decision.  
  
_There is no way in hell I'm ever going through that again._  
  
I needed help. Lots of help. There were only two people I knew who could make me ace every exam in that damn class. And only one of them still knew I was alive.  
  
Koushiro Izumi.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm not sure about this, Takato."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm a little busy."  
  
"Is there anthing I can do to convince you?"  
  
"I still don't know. There's not much I really need."  
  
"Come on, I need this! I'll do anything!."  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
Seeing him waver a bit, I sweetened the deal.  
  
_I hope that the show knew what it taught…_  
  
"What if I make some stuff?"  
  
"What kind of stuff?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet, but I _am_ good at cooking, you know, brownies and stuff, just not most other subjects."  
  
He looked heavenward for a moment, then stuck out his hand.  
  
"Deal."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
And time passed.  
  
My grades eventually went up again, and it seemed the more baked goods I shoved down Izzy's throat, the higher my grades went. It was a little creepy, but good as far as I could tell.  
  
TK and Kari officially hooked up not long after I started studying with Izzy. They seemed made for each other. But then, they did have the crests of hope and light, and it was sometimes difficult to separate the two concepts in my head. Davis was extremely depressed at the announcement. For about five minutes. The he glimpsed a passing skirt and was up and running.  
  
Ken and Yolie were still getting along oddly enough. I had expected them to break up for awhile after a particularly nasty fight, but they patched things up in short order. I guess it was simply Yolie's mood swings that caused some of those fights. Ken probably understood this as well, because he endured her ranting in relatively good humor, then apologized, causing everyone else to leave as the pendulum swung back and Yolie smothered her boyfriend in kisses.  
  
I looked for signs of Tai and Sora hitting it off, but to my disappointment, they remained just friends. But on the other hand, neither one of them dated anyone else, so I took it as a good sign.  
  
To my extreme shock, Matt and Jun remained together. It was more than a little creepy, and Davis kept making gagging noises, but nothing ever seemed to go wrong for them.  
  
Mimi remained in America, but she called every once in awhile, checking on things. Joe seemed a little nervous and tense, but that was Joe for you, and besides, he was studying to be a doctor, after all.  
  
Cody… well, let's just say that Cody and I didn't get along too well. Which is odd. I usually get along with kids younger than me. But then, as far as maturity goes, Cody was right up there with Joe mentally. Cody just seemed not to trust me. Which was fine for now, but my gut told me it would become an issue in the future.  
  
And time passed, and I began my second year in high school, my second year in the eastern quadrant.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"…so we have to go back for it."  
  
I blinked. Attempting to be the voice of reason, TK asked another question.  
  
"Why can't we get it tomorrow? I mean, we do have school tomorrow Davis."  
  
"That's precisely my point! I can't walk into school with out it! She'll kill me!"  
  
"Then you shouldn't have taken it in the first place!"  
  
"You just don't refuse a gift from a girl, especially your girlfriend! I have to go get it before tomorrow, and I need your help! You understand how I feel, don't you Takato?"  
  
I quickly ran through my experiences with girls. One who expressed feelings through a sock puppet, and one who, well, was Rika. Enough said.  
  
"…No comment…"  
  
Davis sweatdropped.  
  
"Well, Ken knows! Wouldn't you go back if Yolie gave you something and you left it somewhere?"  
  
TK interrupted.  
  
"If Yolie _had_ given Ken a ring, and I still don't see why Kristen gave you one in the first place, he probably wouldn't have dropped it at all!"  
  
Davis ignored him and sent pleading looks at Ken. Ken sighed in defeat, and Davis concentrated on TK who resisted.  
  
"Absolutely not! I am not breaking into the school at ten o'clock at night!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How did I get dragged in this?"  
  
_I can't believe I'm doing this… I have a good life, a home, a brother, a girlfriend. Why am I adding a potential criminal record to that?_  
  
I glanced to Takato behind me, he seemed a bit nervous, and touched a spot on his chest for a moment, but still had that cheesy grin on his face.  
  
Davis was up ahead sneaking with exaggeration, and we were more likely to get caught for that than anything else. I sighed and looked at Ken next to me. He shrugged. We followed Davis across the grounds and up to a side door. Davis fiddle around with the lock using a bent paperclip.  
  
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"  
  
"Of course TK! I saw this in a movie!"  
  
I heard Ken groan beside me as I repressed the urge to strangle Davis. Don't get me wrong, Davis is a good friend, but he tends to drag you into trouble a lot. Takato looked carefully at the door, then stood up. Davis looked worried.  
  
"What are you doing Takato?"  
  
Takato didn't say anything; he just reached over and turned the knob. The door swung in easily. Davis looked at it a little sheepishly.  
  
"Oops."  
  
I whacked Davis in the back of the head as we headed in. Ken asked about the next phase in the plan.  
  
"So, Davis, where did you leave it?"  
  
"I'm not sure…"  
  
"DAVIS!"  
  
"DAVIS!"  
  
"DAVIS!"  
  
He just looked at the ground and scuffed his feet. Then he perked up.  
  
"That's right! I left it in the boy's locker room!"  
  
I slapped my head.  
  
"That could take hours to search, and that's _if_ no one picked it up and took it home!"  
  
"Sorry TK."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"It's all right Davis. At least it's not the school we have to search anymore."  
  
He brightened.  
  
"Thanks TK."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Ewww._  
  
Searching a locker room was not fun. Not in the least. Especially not for something as small as a ring. I sighed. Then I shut up.  
  
"Did anyone else hear something?"  
  
They all stopped. Then we heard it.  
  
Clump, clump, clump…  
  
_Footsteps…_  
  
I was not the only one who had reached that conclusion, because the next thing I knew, we were all running for the exit onto the field. We ran for our young lives. I risked a glance behind me and heard Takato next to me.  
  
"Shit! It's Mr. Crider!"  
  
I'd never had the man, but from Takato's stories about the man, I didn't want to get caught by him, that's for sure. Then I tripped, and I went down, twisting my ankle in the process. Takato and TK picked me up and helped me to the temporary safe refuge behind the equipment shed. Takato glanced around the side of the shed.  
  
"We need a plan, he'll be here in a minute!"  
  
Davis spoke up.  
  
"All right, someone distract him, while the other two help Ken to safety!"  
  
Takato nodded.  
  
"I'll go."  
  
"Takato?"  
  
Takato smiled at me.  
  
"He already hates me anyways. I'll get him to follow me."  
  
TK looked a little concerned.  
  
"What if he doesn't follow you?"  
  
There was an odd glint in Takato's eyes as he answered.  
  
"I'll make him follow me."  
  
Then he took off. We waited a minute, then cautiously stepped out. Mr. Crider and Takato were nowhere to be found.  
  
"I hope he makes it out okay…"  
  
"Me too. I'd hate to think of what Crider would do to him."  
  
"Yeah, if he's caught, my parents would kick him out of our house."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I dashed out of our place of concealment. Mr. Crider, obviously aware of our numbers, headed for the shed instead of me, confident he could squeeze my name out of them.  
  
_Not today._  
  
I picked up a small rock, and threw it at him. He whipped around and started chasing me.  
  
_I really hope I can outrun this guy…_  
  
I dashed off school property with Mr. Crider about twenty yards behind. I just prayed that it was enough. Then I hit the jackpot. I ran into a drifting fog bank and charged through. And into someone else. I got up quickly and started running again, not looking back.  
  
_That training is really paying off…_  
  
I kept running until I was out of breath and collapsed on a bench.  
  
"Takato?"  
  
I froze.  
  
Then I saw TK, Ken and Davis, and relaxed.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
"You get away okay?"  
  
"You think I'd be sitting here if I hadn't?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I ran through a fog bank back there and lost him. I kinda feel sorry for the guy I knocked over though…"  
  
"What fog bank?"  
  
I looked back. The fog was nowhere to be found.  
  
_That's odd._  
  
"Well, in any case, you made it okay. Thanks Takato."  
  
"No problem Ken."  
  
"Hey guys! Why don't we go get something to eat. My treat!"  
  
We all looked at Davis. He looked back a little sheepishly.  
  
"Well, this was kinda my fault…"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Thanks Davis."  
  
So we went and ate. Ken's leg was feeling better, and now that it was over we could laugh about it. Before we left, though, TK reached in his pocket and handed something to Davis. He took it and looked at him. It was the ring.  
  
"Where did you get this!"  
  
"In the locker room."  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?!"  
  
"We were a little occupied at the time, Davis."  
  
"Yeah. Thanks TK."  
  
"No problem Davis. Just don't lose it again."  
  
Davis reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim silver chain. He looped the ring around it and put the chain over his head.  
  
"I won't."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day I walked into the cafeteria and saw something unusual. Dominic was busy scrubbing up what was obviously puke from the cafeteria floor. He saw me and glared.  
  
"I don't know how, but this was your fault Matsuki!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Mr. Crider told me that I had to do this for the rest of the year to avoid a criminal charge. I don't know how, But it's definitely your fault."  
  
"How would I know anything about it?"  
  
I bought some decent lunch instead of the school made slop, and sat down to eat.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_*Takato. I need to see you and BlackGuilmon after your school ends.*  
  
*Azulongmon?*  
  
*Yes, who else would it be?*  
  
*I'm not sure. What do you need to see me for?*  
  
*Just be here Takato.*_  
  
With that he cut off his communication and left me staring at my locker in confusion.  
  
_I wonder if something's up… Oh well, there's Kari. There are days I hate this. Having to be close but not too close._  
  
"Hi Takato. Watch out, Yolie's on a rampage again, apparently Ken missed their date."  
  
"Ouch, I'd hate to be him. I told him he was asking for trouble when he went to hang out with Davis beforehand."  
  
That was our cover story. Ken was with Davis, I was with TK. Not even the group numbers matched up.  
  
"Yeah, well you live with him, so watch out, she might decide to interrogate you instead."  
  
"Ah. Thanks for the warning Kari, but I think I'll be fine."  
  
Kari gave me a weird look and left. I gave out a small chuckle. None of them could understand how I took Yolie's rants so well, almost as well as Ken. To me though, it was easy. Yolie was nothing compared to Rika. Rika had a penchant for hitting you as she yelled, and it didn't matter how fast you ran. Being cornered by Yolie was nothing in comparison.  
  
It's funny how you miss the little things. Like Rika threatening to kill you. 


	7. Dragons, Girls, and Food

Chapter 6 - Dragons, Girls, and Food  
  
BlackGuilmon and I walked up to the appointed meeting place. When he appeared, he did not appear alone this time. With him was a smaller, blue and gold dragon. It was looking at us carefully, and the C-Ark didn't give any data on it.  
  
"So, Azulongmon, what did you want to talk to us about?"  
  
"Him." He said motioning at the other dragon. "He is going to solve our problem."  
  
"Which problem would that be again?"  
  
"Your inability to fly, Takato. This is Grani, I was inspired to construct him by Zhuqiamon's Behemoth, so I thought that I could do the same, but make a flying creature, so as not to burden some poor digimon with flying you about. It will bond to ChaosGallantmon, making Grani something you can summon as him."  
  
"Neat. It's very nice to meet you Grani."  
  
The dragon nodded in response and I heard a voice in my head.  
  
_*Greetings, Tamer.*  
  
*Call me Takato, Grani.*  
  
*Very well… Takato*_  
  
"What do you suggest we do, Azulongmon?"  
  
"Practice, get to know each other, you'll be allies as long as you exist."  
  
I nodded to the blue and gold dragon.  
  
"Okay, let's get started."  
  
Several hours later, BlackGuilmon and I were exhausted. I smiled at Grani.  
  
_*I think you and I will get along well together Grani.*  
  
*I as well Tamer.*  
  
*It's Takato, Grani, Tamer sounds a bit formal for my tastes.*  
  
*I'll try to remember.*  
  
*Thanks. We'll pick up tomorrow where we left off. I've got to get home.*  
  
*As you wish Tam… Takato.*_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Why me, Veemon? Why did this happen to me? What did I do?"  
  
"Don't worry Davish, I'm shure there's a girl out there for you!"  
  
"You mean it?"  
  
"Shure, there are plenty of fish in the shea."  
  
"Thanks Veemon."  
  
"No problem Davish!"  
  
I sighed. Veemon just didn't understand. While I knew he was right, my heart just wouldn't let go. I smiled at him anyway.  
  
_But seriously! I put my butt on the line to get that ring back, and the next day she asks for it back and then dumps me? That's harsh._  
  
I looked down the street. There seemed to be happy couples everywhere I looked! Talk about depressing!  
  
"Hey Davis!"  
  
I turned. Ken was coming my way with Takato and TK in tow. Ken was smiling as they ran up, then he stopped smiling when he came close.  
  
"What's wrong Davis?"  
  
"Nothing, really."  
  
Takato narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Veemon, what's up with Davis?"  
  
"Davish was dumped by a girl."  
  
TK groaned and smacked his head with his palm.  
  
"The same girl we all just risked ourselves to help you keep?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
_Why does Veemon say things like that?_  
  
Takato looked around, then smiled.  
  
"Guys, let's go over there and get something to drink while we talk about this."  
  
I gulped.  
  
"Do we have to talk about this?"  
  
He looked at me and smiled.  
  
"Yes. Yes we do."  
  
"Whyyyy?"  
  
Ken grinned as well.  
  
"Because we're your friends. And you are obviously not okay right now."  
  
"But only girls talk about stuff like this! We're guys! We deal with it ourselves."  
  
Then TK started grinning at me.  
  
_What the hell is this? A conspiracy?_  
  
"Well, we're about to set a new trend. Come on Davis."  
  
We crossed the street to the café that Takato had pointed out. We ordered and sat down. The Ken said the word I didn't want to hear.  
  
"Tell us how it happened."  
  
"It's kind of embarrassing…"  
  
Takato smiled, a faraway look in his eyes.  
  
"I'll guarantee that its not more embarrassing than my story."  
  
"Yeah right."  
  
"You ever been shot down by a sock puppet?"  
  
TK and Ken swiveled their heads around to stare at him.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"It's true, I was, but let's have Davis tell us his first."  
  
I nodded.  
  
_If Takato was willing to confess to that…_  
  
"It happened at lunch today."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I walked into the cafeteria feeling pretty good. I dodged the grumpy looking blonde kid with the garbage can, and walked up to the table where Kristen was. She motioned for me to sit down, and continued talking to her friends. I ate quietly why I waited for them to finish. Then she turned to me.  
  
"Davis?"  
  
"Yeah Kristen?"  
  
"Could you give me back that ring please?"  
  
"Uh, sure thing…"  
  
I took the ring off the chain I had put it on and handed it back to her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Then her voice changed. For the worse.  
  
"We're through, Davis."  
  
"Wha…?"  
  
"You heard me. We're through!"  
  
"Why?!"  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"I've found someone else."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Me."  
  
I turned. There was the biggest guy I'd ever seen in school. It was the grumpy guy with the trashcan. Blonde spiky hair, tight white shirt, and a red jacket and headband.  
  
"She just dumped you. Why are you still here?"  
  
"I…"  
  
"So you wan to be a smart guy, huh?"  
  
Then he nailed me in the stomach. I puked all my recently eaten food over the floor, then he picked me up and put me head first into the garbage can before rolling it down the hallway and down the stairs, out to the dumpster, where he promptly dumped me in.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wow."  
  
"That explains why I didn't see you at lunch…"  
  
"And why Dominic was cleaning up puke."  
  
I smiled a bit.  
  
_Maybe it does help to talk about it…_  
  
Then I grinned.  
  
"Okay, spill it Takato."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Fine. This started a while before I came here, so don't expect much."  
  
We nodded.  
  
"Well, I'd had a crush on a girl in my class for years now. Her name was Jeri Katou. Jeri was always nice, kind and sweet to every one. She was pretty to. I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the only boy in school who liked her. Half our class did too I'm sure. One day, we were in the park, and it was just Jeri and I. She was sitting on the bench and I walked up and sat down next to her. We talked a little bit, and I had almost gotten the guts to ask her out.  
  
"Jeri, you see, has one little idiosyncrasy, she likes to express some things through a dog-like sock puppet she carries everywhere. Anyways, I had just gotten up the guts to ask her out when she whips out the sock puppet and says:  
  
'Ruff! Jeri doesn't like you that way Takato! Don't worry, there's a girl out there for you! Ruff!'  
  
"I just sat there for a while after she left and started to think about things. I really couldn't believe that she'd use her _sock puppet_ to shoot me down. Then I went home. I was devastated for a few weeks, then bounced back."  
  
I looked at him.  
  
_How is he so calm?_  
  
"What happened then Takato?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"I learned the sock puppet was right. There was someone else out there. And you'll learn that too Davis."  
  
"That the sock puppet was right?"  
  
He looked at me like I was nuts.  
  
"No. That there's someone else out there."  
  
"Oh. So who was out there for you?"  
  
He grinned.  
  
"You don't want to hear that story. It's a large chain of near death experiences."  
  
"Takatomon!"  
  
He smiled and looked under the table where our digimon were.  
  
"What's the matter BlackJyarimon?"  
  
"I'm hungry Takatomon!"  
  
"Me too Davish!"  
  
"Yeah! Let's get some food TK!"  
  
"I'm hungry too Ken."  
  
I frowned.  
  
"But Veemon, I want to hear more about Takato's story!"  
  
Then Ken came up with a brilliant idea.  
  
"Hey Wormmon. You know how to get to Yolie's store from here don't you?"  
  
"Of course Ken. We've been there so many times it's hard to forget."  
  
"Good."  
  
He then turned to address the rest of us.  
  
"Let's give them some money and have them go down to the store and let Yolie get them something. I know that she's working the counter right now."  
  
"Hmmm. I don't know."  
  
"Oh come on Takato. What's the worst that could happen?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Oh, all right. Here's some money. Stay out of trouble."  
  
"Right Takatomon!"  
  
When no one was looking, the four digimon darted for the alley and disappeared. I turned back to Takato.  
  
"You can't just leave us there Takato. Come on, tell us some more!"  
  
He arched an eyebrow.  
  
"What happened to 'only girls talk about this stuff'?"  
  
"I got over it. You should too."  
  
"It's not really something I want to talk about."  
  
"Oh, come on Takato!"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"All right. But all of this stays between us, all right?"  
  
We nodded.  
  
He pulled something off his neck, and put it on the table in the center of us.  
  
"Her name is Rika Nonaka…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I smiled, arms crossed behind my neck, holding our money as we strolled down the back roads to Yolie's place. Well, Wormmon and I walked. Patamon floated and BlackJyarimon hopped. We were going pretty slowly. Speaking of which…  
  
"Hey, Wormmon, hurry! We're hungry!"  
  
"Sorry Veemon, but I can't go very fast."  
  
I sighed and looked at BlackJyarimon.  
  
"I wish you had your rookie form right now. We'd get there faster."  
  
He looked at me.  
  
"A lot faster?"  
  
"Yeah, probably. You could carry him there."  
  
Then he glowed.  
  
**Flash  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackJyarimon Flash Digivolve to… BlackGuilmon!**  
  
I blinked.  
  
How'd he… awe, who cares.  
  
He picked up Wormmon and started running. Patamon and I were left in the dust. He turned back.  
  
"Hurry Veemon!"  
  
"Stop a second will ya!"  
  
He waited. I ran over to him.  
  
"Hang on a second, I'm gonna get on."  
  
And then I climbed on him like a cool Wild West star on to his horse. Patamon landed on his head.  
  
"All right! Let's go! Wormmon, tell him where to turn!"  
  
"Right, Veemon.  
  
BlackGuilmon took off like a rocket stopping only to turn when Wormmon told him too. Soon enough we were in front of the Inoue Family Store.  
  
"Let's go in already!"  
  
"I have to make sure it's empty first!"  
  
"Hurry Veemon. I'm hungry!"  
  
I looked inside, but I didn't see anyone, not even Yolie.  
  
_Where is she? I can't open the door if I can't reach the handle!_  
  
"What's wrong Veemon?"  
  
I turned around to find BlackGuilmon's face right in front of mine.  
  
"WAHH! Don't do that!"  
  
I dusted myself off and glared at him.  
  
"I don't see Yolie, so we can't go inside yet!"  
  
"But Veemon, I'm hungry now…"  
  
"But I can't find Yolie!"  
  
"I'll find her!"  
  
The big dino opened the door and charged in.  
  
"Hello!!"  
  
We followed after him in the shop. It was…   
  
…empty?  
  
"This is odd…"  
  
"You said it Patamon, where is she?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I grunted a little under the weight of the box I was carrying.  
  
_I wish Ken was here, this would be a lot easier…_  
  
I sighed.  
  
_Ken…_  
  
I shook myself out of it at the sound of the door chime and voices. I put the box down and ran out to the front. There was no one there.  
  
_Weird…_  
  
"HIIII!"  
  
I spun and saw a huge black shape.  
  
"AHHHH!"  
  
I fell back… and landed on something.  
  
"Owwww. Yolie… get off."  
  
I blinked and looked down.  
  
"Patamon?"  
  
"Please get off, you're heavy…"  
  
"WHAT!!"  
  
"Oops."  
  
_That little flying pig!! How dare he!! I'm not heavy!! Why that little…! I'll…_  
  
Then there was a small blue hand tugging at my sleeve.  
  
"Um, Yolie…"  
  
"Huh? Oh, hi Veemon."  
  
I turned back to the floored Patamon.  
  
"You need to learn some manners you little creep!"  
  
"Sorry Yolie. I didn't mean it that way…"  
  
"Can we have food now?"  
  
I turned around again, and stopped for a moment to steady myself on the counter. The big black shape had been Takato's overly friendly virus, BlackGuilmon, holding Wormmon.  
  
"Food?"  
  
Veemon tugged on my shirt again to get my attention.  
  
"Davish sent us to get some food, while they talked about stuff."  
  
"Food is it? Well you can go right back and…"  
  
"He gave ush shome money, sheesh."  
  
Veemon held out some cash, what was probably more than enough for the four.  
  
"Oh! Well, then, help yourselves, I have to get some things from the back room. Just be sure to hide if someone comes in, okay?"  
  
"Sure thing Yolie!"  
  
I smiled as I heard the sounds of massive eating coming from the front room.  
  
_They'll never change._  
  
I finished organizing the boxes of supplies and headed out to the front room.  
  
And stopped in shock!  
  
"I can eat more than you!"  
  
"No I'm the best eater!"  
  
"I am!"  
  
The store was half cleaned out, open bins and cartons everywhere. And there, in the center were four digimon still chowing away at whatever they could find. I felt myself heat up. I'm pretty sure there were some fairly thick veins appearing on my forehead. I screamed.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!!!!!!"  
  
They stopped and looked at me. BlackGuilmon looked at the remains of the store.  
  
"I'm still hungry…"  
  
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
They looked at each other, then bolted for the door. Well, everyone but BlackGuilmon, who just sat there, looking at me confused. Veemon was jumping for the handle when I caught him. He gulped.  
  
"H…hi Yolie…"  
  
"You… you… you… **IDIOTS!!!**"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We walked behind Yolie with our heads down. We were in for it, I just knew it. Even if Davis didn't punish me, I knew that Yolie would.  
  
_This is not good._  
  
Yolie was mad, steaming mad. Now we were crossing the street to where Davis and the other were. They seemed to be having a good time. That would change shortly.  
  
"KEN ICHIJOUJI!"  
  
They turned as one. Then they all paled noticeably. I looked behind me at the others. I whispered to Patamon.  
  
"Whose idea was that eating contest anyways?"  
  
He hissed back at me.  
  
"YOURS!"  
  
"Oops." 


	8. Villains and Heroes

Chapter 7 - Villains and Heroes  
  
"TAKATO MATSUKI!!"  
  
I spun on my heels. There stood Yolie Inoue in all her might. I could tell she was mad. Really mad. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.  
  
_Better get out of here._  
  
And with that I was up and running. I ran and ran. I ran like all the demons of hell were chasing me. I ran as if my life depended on it, which it probably did. On a quick glance back I noted that Yolie was still the same distance behind that she was when I started, which worried me. While Yolie is certainly not _out_ of shape, she shouldn't have been able to keep up this long without slowing. Then, I panicked.  
  
_Not good. Definitely not good._  
  
I had run into a dead end. I turned and waited. She walked around the corner calmly, as if she hadn't just been running for about three miles. It was definitely three. I was pretty sure.  
  
"TAKATO MATSUKI!!"  
  
_Does she have to yell so loud? I'm right here._  
  
I panicked again and started looking for a way out.  
  
_There!_  
  
I saw a small back alley, narrow enough for only one person at a time to run through. I dashed for it. I had made it into the alley, and I started running, and running, and running. The small alley seemed to run on for ever. I glanced back. There was Yolie, still running behind me. Not the least bit tired.  
  
_There, up ahead! That light! That must be the end._  
  
Looking back, I recall something I heard once.  
  
The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of the oncoming train.  
  
In this case, it proved to be true. I had almost reached the end. Really. I was just about two feet from it when someone stepped in between me and the light. The figure decided to shout at me.  
  
"GOGGLEHEAD!!"  
  
I stumbled backwards, falling down. There, in front of me, was the viscous smirk of Rika Nonaka. Still staring at her, I scrambled backwards until I hit something about two feet later.  
  
Yolie's legs. She looked down.  
  
"TAKATO MATSUKI!!"  
  
_What did I do?_  
  
I curled myself into a ball and awaited Rika's fists while they both yelled. Odd thing though. The yells had changed.  
  
_Why do they sound like…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_…my alarm clock?_  
  
I lay there in bed panting heavily. Glancing next to me at the alarm clock I suppressed a groan for Ken's sake. It was time to get up and go to work.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Whew._  
  
I was walking home now, but I had edged away from Yolie today. We all did. Yolie was still mad about yesterday. Ken was skating on thin ice with her right now, and was pretty much her slave. He didn't dare do anything to contradict her in any fashion, and she had wanted him to accompany her home to help her with her homework. I had cleaned out my cash reserves that I had earned already to help with the damages. It was mostly BlackGuilmon's fault anyways.  
  
_I figure if I keep giving her my paychecks like this, I might have it paid off in a few months._  
  
I sighed. That was not how I had wanted to spend that money.  
  
_Oh well…  
  
*Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Takato.*  
  
*Azulongmon?*  
  
*Yes. I need you to come see me. I have your first assignment ready.*  
  
*Assignment?*  
  
*Yes, it seems that there's a Zanbamon attacking a small settlement in the Server Desert. I'd like you to handle it. While the Digidestined could handle it, I believe that it's a diversion for something larger. I'll have Gennai contact them later when I know more.*  
  
*All right. On my way.*  
  
This isn't easy.  
  
*BlackJyarimon, get ready! Grani, meet us after we get into the Digital World please.*  
  
*Right behind you Takatomon!*  
  
*I'll be there.*_  
  
I ran down the street for the nearest alley. I cringed as it looked a lot like the one in my dream. After a careful check of my surroundings, I determined that I really was alone. I drew the green card out of my deck.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Digital Gate Activate!**  
  
I selected the location I wanted to appear at, which was just outside the desert, and leapt through. On the other side I was greeted with the familiar site of Grani winging his way down. I took the severely chastised BlackJyarimon from my hood.  
  
**Biomerge  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackJyarimon Biomerge to… ChaosGallantmon!**  
  
I nodded to Grani and hopped aboard as he swung past. In moments we were speeding across the desert. As we flew I tried to recall as many things about Zanbamon as I could.  
  
_Mega level… Virus type… Wizard class despite appearance…_  
  
A Zanbamon is odd looking. Even for a digimon. It's lower half is a horse with black skin and gold armor. Its skeletal head has a bladed horn on it. Just above its butt, sits the upper half of a samurai, again in gold armor. Still has black skin, skeletal features and whatnot, but it's got a short katana in one hand and a monster of a sword in the other, definitely not the type of sword one usually finds on a samurai. Its helmet is topped with a golden crescent shape, and it has a tattered red cape.  
  
_Attacks: Cross Slash and Beheading. Great._  
  
I frowned. Now I could make out some dust in the distance.  
  
_*That's gotta be him.*  
  
*I agree, nothing else would be out here besides the villagers…*_  
  
I finished Grani's thought for him.  
  
_*And there's no way they could make that much dust.*_  
  
We came in low, Grani barely a foot off the ground, kicking up a dust cloud of our own, when we spotted a black and gold shape in the dust, about to trample a Floramon.  
  
_Got you._  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The attack caught him off guard, and he flew sideways, never reaching his intended target. The Floramon looked up, around, then at me, Grani was at a stop now. The Floramon opened its mouth, but I cut it off.  
  
"Run."  
  
Words always sounded like I was chewing gravel whenever I spoke as ChaosGallantmon. The Floramon nodded and ran off. I turned to the enemy. The Zanbamon got back to its feet slowly, and while I could have certainly taken him while he was down, I simply waited for him to regain his footing.  
  
_No need for the fun to end just yet._  
  
He got up, and his horse head snorted as it pawed the ground like a bull.  
  
He charged.  
  
"CROSS SLASH!"  
  
My arrogance proved to be my undoing in this case. I managed to catch the swipe of the large blade on my shield, but I was not quite quick enough to use my lance on the smaller blade, and he got in a shallow cut, putting a gash in my chest plate. I was knocked back and off Grani, who flew in circles while I leaped to my feet. The scratch didn't hurt that much, it was on my armor, but the blow to my pride was significant.  
  
_That's it._  
  
I charged my shield. It had worked once, it could work again. I ran towards the much taller digimon and jumped, slamming the Gorgon into his chest.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The attack took him by surprise, but unlike Zhuqiamon, it didn't knock him out, only weakened him. I growled in frustration. Then I moved as he was heading at me again.  
  
"BEHEADING!"  
  
True to its name, the attack headed straight for my neck. I braced with my shield and took the attack, only to be sent sprawling by the charging digimon. I growled again, and jumped on Grani.  
  
_This is NOT over._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey Izzy, it's been awhile."  
  
"Gennai?!"  
  
"That's me. Listen. There's something funny going on in the digital world, something that's probably real trouble, and Azulongmon wants you guys to check it out. Gather all the Digidestined you can, and get to these coordinates…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So Azulongmon wants to see us."  
  
"Yeah. He said there's trouble. Enough that he wants to see all of us, not just the new kids."  
  
_Great._  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Peace never lasts, does it?"  
  
Izzy chuckled.  
  
"Not likely Tai."  
  
"Sorry guys, buy I can't go."  
  
We turned to look at Sora. My voice was a little soft when I spoke.  
  
"What?"  
  
"My mom is really sick today. I have to run the store."  
  
"Oh. Well, we understand."  
  
We started to file in to Izzy's computer room. I looked at Sora.  
  
"Are you going to be okay?"  
  
She smiled a little.  
  
"Yeah. She's just really sick, that's all. She's expected to recover, but she'll just need my help for awhile."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Then something caught my eye.  
  
"Is that a new hairclip?"  
  
She smiled, a little more genuinely this time.  
  
"Yes. It used to be my grandmother's, mom gave it to me."  
  
"It looks great on you…"  
  
"…Thanks."  
  
We looked at each other for a bit. Then Davis stuck his head in.  
  
"Tai, you coming?"  
  
_Trust Davis to ruin a moment…_  
  
"Yeah I'm coming."  
  
The mood broken, I left for the digital world.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zanbamon and I eyed each other carefully. My pride and arrogance gone, I looked at my opponent with new eyes, careful, discerning eyes. I had managed to get in some good hits, but so had he, and now we were both waiting, watching each other, an unspoken agreement to each let the other catch his breath. Then he was charging, and I leaped into action once more.  
  
"CROSS SLASH!"  
  
I let the attack come this time, and blocked with my shield the way I had before, but this time twisted my body so that the thinner swipe passed me by completely. His large blade on my shield and the smaller whistleing by, I jumped up and through his defenses, smashing the tip of my very sharp lance into his unprotected face. He howled and stumbled backwards, collapsing. This time I didn't wait.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
I paused to completely catch my breath, watching Zanbamon's data float away on the breeze. I noted some new digimon behind me, overlooked in the match, they seemed a little familiar but I dismissed them as locals returning home, hoping it was over.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I watched the knight digimon twist to avoid the blow that the Zanbamon was aiming at it. Then watched as he jumped and dealt a massive blow to its face. And finally, watched as it destroyed its opponent with an attack. I heard TK to my right.  
  
"Woah."  
  
"What do you want to bet that that's the trouble we cam here for?"  
  
I looked over at Davis who made the offer.  
  
"No bet, that thing is definitely trouble, but we should check with Azulongmon first, I doubt he would have summoned all of us just for this…"  
  
"Right, Tai. Imperialdramon can take him. You guys continue on, me and Ken can handle this, right?"  
  
Ken nodded.  
  
"Of course, Davis."  
  
I looked at him for a while.  
  
"Fine, but be careful. It could be more dangerous that it looks."  
  
They nodded.  
  
"We'll be fine Tai. Now go talk to Azulongmon. We'll catch up."  
  
"Right."  
  
I led the other Digidestined away.  
  
_Something's not right._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I watched Tai lead the other Digidestined away. I turned to Davis. He nodded to me and spoke.  
  
"Let's do it."  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Veemon Digivolve to… X-Veemon!  
  
Wormmon Digivolve to… Stingmon!  
  
DNA  
Digivolution_  
  
X-Veemon… Stingmon… DNA Digivolve to… Paildramon!  
  
Digivolution_  
  
Paildramon Digivolve to… Imperialdramon!  
  
Imperialdramon Mode Change to… Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode!**  
  
As the digivolution began, the knight digimon turned. When the light faded to reveal Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode, it could of sworn I heard the knight say something.  
  
"Oh crap."  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
The knight blocked with its shield. It was surprisingly strong. What happened next was a little surprising.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
A blast emerged from the knight's shield and pushed back our beam.  
  
"I…I can't hold it!"  
  
"IMPERIALDRAMON!"  
  
Davis and I yelled at the same time. Imperialdramon was knocked off balance and stumbled back. The knight looked like it was in pretty bad condition. It was trying to catch its breath. Then it ran straight for me and Davis, ignoring Imperialdramon.  
  
_Oh no._  
  
It jumped high into the air, and was then intercepted by a large blue and gold dragon, and they headed off into the sky. I looked at Davis and he looked back at me, the same question on our minds.  
  
_What was that?_  
  
Imperialdramon got back up.  
  
"Should I try to follow him?"  
  
"No… It was pretty worn out. He'll rest. We'll have time before he strikes again."  
  
Imperialdramon nodded and split back into his rookies. I sighed as I picked up Wormmon.  
  
"Come on, Davis, we'd better catch up to the others."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I heard the bell ring and I stood from where I was arranging some of the flowers and turned towards the door.  
  
"Hello, how can I hel… BIYOMON!!"  
  
My pink friend was being held in the grip of… Mummymon?!"  
  
"Let her go or I'll…"  
  
"…Or you'll do what?"  
  
I paused. This was obviously not the same Mummymon we faced before.  
  
"You're coming with me girl!"  
  
"Not a chance you twit!"  
  
"Now, now, that wasn't… ungh!"  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
As Mummymon stumbled sideways I looked, and there was Takato and his BlackGuilmon, both looking tired, but determined. The Mummymon eyed BlackGuilmon.  
  
"You're strong for a rookie. I actually felt that. But you won't get lucky again."  
  
Takato smiled.  
  
"We don't need luck. BlackGuilmon, GO!"  
  
BlackGuilmon charged, and Mummymon was forced to drop Biyomon. I wanted to pull her out of the action, but the battle was blocking me.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The attack hit Mummymon with glaring accuracy, but being an ultimate, he shrugged it off.  
  
"You don't get it, do you boy? You can't win!"  
  
He started shooting at them. Takato managed to dodge, but hit his head on a table and fell unconscious. BlackGuilmon dived in front of his partner, shielding him, but when the bullets hit him, he was knocked out too. The Mummymon turned to me and gave me a leering grin.  
  
"You're still coming with me girly."  
  
"BIYOMON!"  
  
Biyomon opened her eyes and tried to move, but Mummymon just kicked her across the room. I kicked and struggled, but Mummymon raised his hand and brought it down again, knocking me unconscious. 


	9. Veemon's Wild West

Chapter 8 - Veemon's Wild West  
  
"Sorry Tai, we lost him."  
  
I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Imperialdramon couldn't handle whoever that was?"  
  
Davis snorted.  
  
"Of course he could! The guy just ran off before we could do anything."  
  
Ken however looked a little skeptical.  
  
"I don't know Davis, he managed to hold off Imperialdramon's attack despite the condition he was in. He could be a bigger threat than we realize."  
  
Davis sighed.  
  
"I suppose you're right Ken. I just think we could have handled him if it came down to it."  
  
Now it was Ken's turn to sigh.  
  
"Maybe, Davis, maybe."  
  
I glanced around. We were all a little restless, eager to move on. Whatever Azulongmon wanted, it was important.  
  
"Alright, let's go. We've still got a little ways to go."  
  
We walked mostly in silence the rest of the way there. Again, I had a feeling that something was not quite right. Like storm clouds just over the horizon. We walked a little further through the Desert of Server until we reached the lush, green, valley more or less in the center of the desert where Azulongmon made his home most of the time. We waited on the cliff, and the Holy Dragon himself flew down out of the sky, several clouds opting to follow him and clump around various parts of him.  
  
"Digidestined. I have summoned you here because I sense a threat to the digital, and possibly the real world. At this time, the true nature of the threat is largely unknown. I know only that it is small at the moment, and I would like to stop it before it spreads. I also know that it is based somewhere in on Server."  
  
"Oh that _really_ narrows it down…"  
  
I smacked Davis in the back of the head and glared at him. Then I returned my attention to Azulongmon and nodded for him to continue.  
  
"To that end, I would like you to investigate. As I said, this evil is currently small, so _any_ unusual disturbance, no matter how trivial, should be reported."  
  
I thought for a moment, then propelled Davis forward.  
  
"Go on, tell him."  
  
Davis looked a little sheepish.  
  
"Well, um, it's like this, you see…"  
  
"Get on with it."  
  
"Right, well we saw an unknown knight digimon delete a Zanbamon just outside a village when we first got here. It was strong enough to repulse Imperialdramon's laser in a weakened condition before it ran off… Maybe that's something?"  
  
Azulongmon looked… strange for a second. Then he shook his head slightly, before returning to normal.  
  
"Hmmm. I could be nothing, or it could be everything. But my instincts tell me that was… well, if not a coincidence, then something that doesn't need to be too seriously worried about. Chase it if you wish, but I believe it to be something different."  
  
I nodded slightly, thinking. Then I turned and addressed the group.  
  
"Alright, let's split up. Pair up people. I want the younger Digidestined in their DNA pairs for safety. Izzy, Joe, one of you two will go with either Matt or I, since we can warp digivolve."  
  
We split up and Izzy ended up with me, and Matt with Joe. With that we started out to search. One group in each of the cardinal directions, with Davis and Ken trying to track down the knight they'd fought earlier, so they headed roughly southeast. Izzy and I headed west towards the jungles, Matt and Joe south towards the sea, Kari and Yolie went north, and TK and Cody went east, off into the desert proper.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Ugh, my aching head…_  
  
Gently pushing BlackGuilmon off me, I got up and looked around slowly. The flower shop was in shambles, and a wounded the Biyomon in front of me was proof of the fact that it was not just a very bad dream. Someone had taken Sora. I doubted the Mummymon was working on its own, an ultimate wouldn't stand anywhere close to a chance against some very mad Digidestined, and nothing was likely to piss them off more than kidnapping one of their own.  
  
_Still, they'd have to be found first…_  
  
And that was likely to be the problem. I looked at my partner behind me. BlackGuilmon was still out like a light. Glancing around, just to make sure we were alone, and Biyomon was still unconscious, I did something about it.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Recharge Activate!**  
  
It worked. Restoring his energy allowed his natural healing to take over in addition to waking him up. He was still a little tired, but nothing serious.  
  
"BlackGuilmon, pick up Biyomon."  
  
He nodded, he didn't talk as he did so; somewhere inside he sensed the gravity of the situation. Another quick check, you never could be too careful, and I was on my way.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Digital Gate Activate!**  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Davis, Ken, Wormmon and I wandered back down to the small settlement where Wormmon and I had fought that wierdo knight. It was small enough that I didn't remember ever being there. I looked at Davis, and he shrugged as well. I guessed that he had never been there either. We crossed over to the local saloon and didn't see anything too unusual. There were a few Deputymon playing cards, a few assorted digimon at the bar, and a Starmon in the corner.  
  
"Hey Davis, let's go ask that Starmon over there what he know about the attack earlier."  
  
"But I was going to get something to drink Ken…"  
  
I smacked my head.  
  
"Hey Ken, you don't need all of us to go talk to that Starmon do you?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"I guess not, but…"  
  
"Good. Then Davish, you go get something to drink while Ken goes and talks to Starmon over there."  
  
Ken looked at me a little funny.  
  
"And what will you be doing?"  
  
I grinned a little.  
  
"I thought I might go join those gentlemon for a game or two."  
  
Ken groaned.  
  
"Veemon _please_ don't cause any trouble."  
  
I smiled brightly at him.  
  
"Don't worry Ken, I'm a born player. I can hold my own."  
  
"That's what worries me."  
  
"Nothing will happen. I'll ask them about what they saw while I'm over there."  
  
Ken looked a little less worried.  
  
"Well…"  
  
"Great, it's settled then! Davish, I'll need a little money to start…"  
  
He groaned, but gave me a little.  
  
"Thanks Davish! I won't let you down!"  
  
I ran over to the table where the Deputymon were playing. They looked at me a little suspiciously.  
  
"Whadda ya want stranger?"  
  
"I want to play."  
  
"I don know, this is for the big boys…"  
  
I jumped on a chair and slapped my money down on the table. Their eyes immediately lit up.  
  
"Welcome stranger, the game is go fish…"  
  
A half hour later I was up three hundred digi-dollars. I glanced over my shoulder. Davis was at the bar talking to the digimon there, and it looked like the Starmon wasn't very talkative, as Ken was still trying to pry answers out of him.  
  
_Oh well, looks like I have time to win some more dough…_  
  
I grinned at the player next to me as he handed me the last three.  
  
"WOOOHOOO! I win again!"  
  
The Deputymon glanced at each other a little uneasily. Then one spoke.  
  
"Listen stranger…"  
  
"Veemon."  
  
"Veemon, no offense, but we'd rather you left the table, you win too much."  
  
I sighed.  
  
_There goes my fun…_  
  
The Deputymon next to me looked a little wild though.  
  
"NOOO! Don't make him leave! I don't have the mon…ey…"  
  
He trailed off as I stared at him.  
  
"You don't have the money?"  
  
He looked down, a little shame faced.  
  
"No…"  
  
"Hmmmm…"  
  
I looked at him for a while. Then I snapped my fingers.  
  
_I've got it!_  
  
"Well… there is _something_ you can do to pay off your debts…"  
  
He looked at me with hope filled eyes.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah! All you have to do is give me your hat."  
  
"My hat?!"  
  
"Your hat. Your bandana too."  
  
He sobbed a little, but complied. I he hadn't, he would've been locked up for a while. Just to be nice, I returned all of the money I made off him though. I put on the hat. It started as ridiculously over sized, but when it transferred to my ownership, both it and the bandanna scaled down to a perfect fit. I looked myself over in the mirror.  
  
_I look good…_  
  
I looked around again. Davis seemed to be doing fine at the bar, but Ken still seemed to be struggling. I strode over, feeling the ten-gallon hat give off waves of coolness as I went over to the table. I jumped up onto an empty chair, put one foot on the table and leaned on it. I looked in Starmon's direction with my head down a little, then flicked the hat up with my thumb as I raised my head and spoke.  
  
"What's the problem here?"  
  
Starmon looked at me a little curiously.  
  
"Weeell, young'un, this here feller wants ta know 'bout the attack this mornin'. I's already explained that I don know much, but 'e jus' won't quit askin'"  
  
I thought about this for a moment, before answering.  
  
"Do you know someone else who would know, by any chance?"  
  
The Starmon looked thoughtful for a minute.  
  
"Well, I might know jus' the mon I reckon. There's a Floramon down the street a ways, 'bout four, five doors down. The lil lass was out there in the thick a it."  
  
I smiled at him.  
  
"Thanks, pardner!"  
  
"Any time young'un."  
  
As we left the table, Ken was still looking at me in shock.  
  
"How'd you do that?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Get him to talk like that. It took me nearly all the time I was over there just to get the fact that he didn't know anything out of him!"  
  
"That? That was easy, Ken. Ya jus' has ta approach 'em right."  
  
Ken looked a little upset at me for some reason, and opened his mouth to say something about it when we were distracted by a commotion from the bar. Davis was backing away slowly from a Snimon with a spittoon laying upside-down on its head. Then he turned and ran outside, the Snimon chasing, then, surprisingly, it came back inside and returned to its drink, pausing only to destroy the spittoon on its way back.  
  
Ken and I headed outside, looking for Davis, only to find him face down in the trough. We ran over to help. After we pulled him out and dried him off, we went for the Floramon's house. I once more insisted on doing the talking when we reached the place. Davis was still sulking, and after my performance in the saloon, Ken was inclined to go along with it. Floramon answered my knock by opening the door with a sweet smile. I smiled right back.  
  
"Evenin' ma'am. I was wonderin' if we might ask you a few questions about this mornin'.  
  
She blushed a little.  
  
"Of course! Do come in and sit down. I rarely have guests."  
  
We did as requested, and once we were settled, I asked again.  
  
"Ma'am, I was wonderin' if you could tell us about what happened today. If it's not too painful that is…"  
  
"No, no! It's fine. The short of it is this. The village was being attacked by this nasty Zanbamon. He just charged in for no good reason and started wrecking the place! We all scrambled out of town for a while, then I assumed that it was safe enough and started back home, under the objections of some of the others I might add. I was almost home when that Zanbamon came running right for me! It would have trampled me too, if that knight hadn't intervened…"  
  
"The knight saved you?!"  
  
"Yes. He knocked that mean Zanbamon down and told me to run, so I did. I wanted to thank him, but he left before I got the chance to.  
  
_He _saved_ Floramon? What's going on here?_  
  
I stood up.  
  
"Thank you for yer time ma'am. We have to be goin' now."  
  
She smiled at me again.  
  
"Of course. Do come again sir."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I turned at a sudden noise. Then I yelled out to Tai.  
  
"Tai! Jump!"  
  
To his credit, Tai didn't hesitate. He jumped right out of the way of the falling tree, followed by Agumon. I turned to the source of the disturbance. There behind the tree was a Deltamon, its three heads ready for action as it charged at us.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Agumon Digivolve to… Greymon!  
  
Tentomon Digivolve to… Kabuterimon!**  
  
Kabuterimon flew at Deltamon.  
  
"ELECTROSHOCKER!"  
  
"TRIPLE FORCE!"  
  
The attacks collided in mid air and sent out miniature shockwaves through the forest. Greymon rushed forward, but was intercepted by a Cyclonemon.  
  
"ARM BOMBER!"  
  
The attack struck Greymon in the side, causing him to stumble slightly. He turned and went after his attacker, while Kabuterimon and I concentrated on ours. Kabuterimon rammed into his opponent with his horned head, knocking Deltamon backwards, But he retaliated.  
  
"SERPENT BITE!"  
  
Kabuterimon responded by ramming Deltamon into a fairly stout tree, loosening his grip. Kabuterimon broke free and flew up to the canopy of the trees above us to think about his next move.  
  
Greymon charged Cyclonemon.  
  
"HORN BUSTER!"  
  
"HYPER HEAT!"  
  
Cyclonemon let out a heat beam from his mouth, but it did nothing against Greymon's skull helm. Greymon plowed into Cyclonemon, knocking him back.  
  
Kabuterimon swooped in low, charging his attack just as Deltamon lost interest and was going over to help Cyclonemon.  
  
"ELECTRO-"  
  
"SLAMMING TUSK!"  
  
A Tuskmon broke from the surrounding trees and nailed Kabuterimon in the side, knocking him to the dirt, where he de digivolved. I rushed out to him.  
  
"Tentomon!"  
  
I grabbed my fallen partner and ran towards Tai, who was having more problems, now that Deltamon and Tuskmon were closing on Greymon. Tai nodded to himself and yelled out to Greymon.  
  
"Greymon! Digivolve!"  
  
Greymon never had the chance.  
  
"HORN BUSTER!"  
  
Tuskmon let loose his version of Greymon's own attack and swatted Greymon into the ground, where he dedigivolved. Tai ran for his partner, narrowly escaping getting caught by Cyclonemon and Deltamon. Tai joined me in running when suddenly the ground opened up beneath me and I plummeted through. The hole closed immediately after me, cutting me off from Tai. It was hard to tell who was worse off, him with three hostile champions and an unconscious partner, or me, who from the looks of it still had another hundred feet to drop.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke up in a tiny cell. I looked around, but didn't see Biyomon anywhere. I tried to feel my waist for my digivice, but I hurt too much to move.  
  
_Tai… help me… please…_


	10. Interlude Times Change

Interlude - Times Change  
  
I was walking home. I was in a really foul mood. Some prissy idiot in my class had tried to insult me.  
  
_She won't do that again._  
  
I had jammed her face into wall… repeatedly. Of course, then I was called down to the office and was given a the standard spiel about how they understood that I was going through a great deal of emotional stress, which was why they weren't expelling me, but that I needed to behave. Well, that, and they would call my mother.  
  
_Who cares what she thinks? Besides, what do they know?_  
  
I crossed through the park on my way home, taking in the tranquility. I sat down on a bench, and smiled sadly at the memory that this particular bench brought back. Then, a sock puppet was shoved in my face.  
  
"Ruff! Cheer up Rika, you can't stay sad forever, ruff!"  
  
I looked up to see Jeri, holding the sock puppet in my face and smiling. I glared at her. This was a glared I had never given anyone, not even Takato. Her face went from bright and smiling to ashen and drawn, and she took a step back. I got up, still glaring and got ready to pound her. Then, a face passed in front of my eyes and I managed to stop myself from mangling her severely.  
  
_Gogglehead…_  
  
"Go to hell puppet girl!"  
  
Whatever peaceful feeling I had built up was gone, and I stalked home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I hung up the phone. One of Rika's teachers, again.  
  
_'She's unresponsive, and when she isn't she's rude!'  
  
'She's gotten in **another** fight! Discipline that girl!'  
  
'She's a constant problem!'_  
  
I sighed. As far as mother had told me, Rika had always walked a fine line. She wasn't the best girl in school, but she never bothered to intentionally piss anyone off. I had received at least one call a day for the past week about her behavior.  
  
_Not that I can blame her…_  
  
She was in her room now, not saying a thing to me when she came in. Not that I could blame her for that either. Or for the screams of rage I heard. I sat at the table, put my head in my hands and cried.  
  
_What kind of mother am I? Who lets their sixteen-year-old daughter be the first to see her Grandmother's dead body?_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'd like to be alone for now."  
  
My fox-like digimon nodded.  
  
"Of course, Rika."  
  
Renamon phased out, and I collapsed at my table. Only now did I allow the stony façade to crumble, to shatter. I broke down and cried. Grandma was gone. Dead. She had died peacefully in her sleep, and mother had been away at one of her shoots in some foreign country.  
  
_The only good thing I could say about her is that she came home as fast as she could…_  
  
I cried harder, remembering when I had gotten up last Monday, and Grandma wasn't in the kitchen cooling as usual.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Where's Grandma?_  
  
I walked down the hall to her room and knocked. I waited a little, but got no answer. So, I knocked again. Still nothing. I frowned a little.  
  
_Grandma's always been a light sleeper. What's going on?_  
  
I slid the door open a little and peeked in.  
  
"Grandma?"  
  
I looked in the room and saw her still asleep in bed. I went over and tried to get her to wake up, shaking her gently. She didn't respond. I shook a little harder, and still didn't get anything. Then I knew. She wasn't breathing. Grandma was dead.  
  
"Grandma? NO! NO!"  
  
Not willing to face facts, I continued screaming, crying, and shaking her, trying to wake her until Renamon appeared and forced me to stop.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I got up and screamed in rage. Feeling an urge to destroy something, I ran over to my dresser and swept everything off of it to the floor. It made a satisfying crash and I began picking things up and throwing them around the room. Then, because that was taking too long, I raised my foot to stomp the pile when the sun reflected off of something yellow and blue, and caught my eye.  
  
_Gogglehead…_  
  
My rage died immediately. I carefully picked up the yellow and blue goggles and checked them for damage. They were fine. Looking at the goggles, I smiled a little through the tears at his memory. It was funny, two years gone, some say dead, and he could still reach out and comfort me.  
  
I wondered how Takato would have reacted to the situation with Jeri earlier.  
  
_Would he have been… angry… with me?_  
  
I shook my head. Goggles would have told Jeri to bug off. He would have stopped me from killing her, but he would have made her give me space. Then he would have given me space himself, but not before doing something stupid, intentionally or unintentionally, to make me laugh a little.  
  
_He always could read me like that…_  
  
Clutching the goggles tightly, I collapsed on the floor again. I imagined I could still hear his voice, and somehow, things were better. Things weren't all right; they wouldn't be for a long time, if ever. But they were better, a little bit.  
  
_'It'll be alright Rika, I promise.'_  
  
I fell asleep there on the floor, tears staining my cheeks, holding the goggles, imagining that my Gogglehead was there holding me, comforting me.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I sighed as I stood there, looking at the sock puppet in my hands.  
  
_Holding it now, it feels… dirty…_  
  
I hadn't ever had that sensation before. Even after D-Reaper had absorbed me, I had always turned to my puppet friend for things. But then, no one had ever given me the look that Rika had just given me either. I had picked it up and used it as an emotional shield ever since my mom died. The puppet had always been a way to express things to others that I was really too afraid to say.  
  
_It was a way to hide how I felt…_  
  
I sighed again remembering the day that Henry had asked me out a few months ago.  
  
_He didn't seem to like it either…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I smiled at Henry's telling of Terriermon's most recent ploy to get out of the 'Princess Pretty Pants' routine. We both laughed long and hard at it. I loved seeing Henry laugh, his face lit up and there was this… innocence… in his eyes that I loved seeing. It got my mind off of everything else that I usually concentrated on.  
  
I still had brooding periods. Times when I would just space out and think about everything that had gone wrong then. Henry helped me get my mind off of all of that. He smiled broadly at me, and I smiled back.  
  
_I love seeing him smile…_  
  
We were sitting at a lunch table at school, just generally having a goodtime.  
  
"Henry?"  
  
"Yeah, Jeri?"  
  
"Henry, I just… I just wanted to say thanks. You've been doing a lot for me this last year, helping me get through everything and all, and I… I, well, I just wanted to say thank you… for everything."  
  
He blushed then, casting his eyes downward, and He fidgeted a little nervously. Then he raised his head and I could see that nervousness in his eyes as they met mine. He stuttered a little as he spoke.  
  
"J-Jeri?"  
  
I smiled at him, a little confused, I admit. It must have shown because he backed off.  
  
"Ye…"  
  
"N-no, it's nothing, really…"  
  
I smiled at him, and brought out my sock puppet.  
  
"Ruff! I don't believe that, ruff!"  
  
He got a little more nervous. He put his hands on top of mine and gently forced the puppet down. He still stuttered a little, but he seemed a little more confident in what he was doing.  
  
"J-Jeri… would you like to do something later, catch a movie or something?"  
  
I blushed, and, scuffing my foot under the table, I brought the puppet up to my defense.  
  
"Ruff! Are you asking Jeri out, ruff?"  
  
He smiled a little and answered quietly, so much that I almost couldn't hear him.  
  
"Yes…"  
  
The bush deepened in my cheeks.  
  
"Ruff! Jeri will go, ruff!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I had left the sock puppet at home that night, and we had a great time. Even when Henry had walked me to my door, and I got flustered. He had been so sweet. Then, I had wished that I hadn't left it back, because I had to fend for myself. Looking back now, I'm glad I didn't have it. It would have made things more awkward for Henry, and I'm not sure I would have wanted that.  
  
I wished he were here to talk to, but he was in Hong Kong, visiting relatives.  
  
And I'm sure that Rika's reaction to me just now would have been a little better without it. Looking at the puppet in my hands now, I realized that it might shield my feelings a little, but it made things worse for those around me. I came to a decision. I suppressed a shiver as I entered the park. I came to the memorial stone we had placed for Takato. I knelt before it, and scooped out a hole in the dirt floor, about six inches deep. I stuffed the sock puppet in it, and buried it; buried the last of my childhood beside a childhood friend, and walked out into the light, feeling like a new woman.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~One week later~  
  
It was raining.  
  
_Appropriate._  
  
I stood looking over my Grandma's gravestone. The service had ended, and I told mom that I'd find my own way home. She had just nodded and left, so I stood there alone - almost. Renamon was watching at the tree line, making sure I was fine. I fingered the goggles that I now had clipped to my belt, and looked around. I had a weird feeling, like I was exposed, open to attack.  
  
"Renamon."  
  
"I sense it too Rika. It's big, whatever it is."  
  
I nodded and brought up my D-Ark.  
  
**Biomerge  
Digivolution_  
  
Renamon Biomerge to… Sakuyamon!**  
  
I looked around carefully, but couldn't see anything. Then I spotted Jeri running over, Leomon in front of her and a bit off to the side.  
  
_Great…_  
  
"Rika! Behind you!"  
  
_Huh?_  
  
I spun and came face to face with an Ebemon, flying in on its saucer.  
  
"SPIRIT STRI…"  
  
"BRAIN RUPTURE!"  
  
The attack hit true, and suddenly I was engulfed in thoughts, all of them of loss and pain.  
  
_Grandma… Takato…_  
  
I collapsed and writhed in agony.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I gasped as I saw Sakuyamon fall to a single attack. I gritted my teeth and nodded to Leomon. I drew a card and concentrated as Ebemon made sure that Sakuyamon was out of the fight. The card turned blue, and I slashed it.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Leomon Digivolve to… Panyamon!**  
  
Panyamon was very close to Leomon. The first time I was conscious when he digivolved I thought that I was seeing things. Panyamon looked just like Leomon except for the coloring. He was ice white with a mane of ice blue, just like his element.  
  
"ICE BEAST FIST!"  
  
Ebemon looked over with some surprise as Panyamon knocked him into the ground. I was pretty sure we wouldn't get a second shot like that. Ebemon had been distracted, and Panyamon's attack hadn't hurt him, just surprised him. He looked at Panyamon in annoyance and launched another attack.  
  
"PLANET DESTROYER!"  
  
Panyamon managed to dodge the massive shot, and delivered another one of his own.  
  
"COLD ATTACK!"  
  
Ebemon ignored the attack from Panyamon, and smacked him into the ground. I tried every card I had, but nothing seemed to work. I scowled in frustration. Ebemon closed the gap to Sakuyamon who was still in agony.  
  
"NO! YOU WILL NOT HURT MY FRIENDS!"  
  
I screamed in rage and frustration. I looked at him through hate filled eyes. I stalked forward and then I stopped, eyes widening.  
  
_Takato… is this what you felt?_  
  
I stopped and forced the hate aside. I would not make Takato's mistake. I simply ran forward to help Panyamon up. My scream had done one thing though. It had distracted Ebemon, and he coming for us now. I reached Panyamon's side and tried to help him up. He looked at me weakly.  
  
"Jeri, run…"  
  
"No."  
  
I spoke quietly. He managed to get to his feet, and I stood there looking at Ebemon, defiance in my eyes.  
  
"PLANET DESTROYER!"  
  
I felt my body break apart as the attack got closer, but bizarrely, I felt no pain.  
  
**Biomerge  
Digivolution_  
  
Panyamon Biomerge to… SaberLeomon!**  
  
I opened my eyes to find that I was on all fours. I could feel Leomon's presence inside my head as I stalked forward, the great cat's instincts coming as I watched Ebemon watch me. I growled and leapt at him, striking dead on.  
  
"HOWLING CRUSHER!"  
  
Ebemon screamed in pain as he was deleted. I exited the biomerge and ran to Sakuyamon, who dedigivolved herself, and Rika lay there on the ground, panting.  
  
"Rika, are you okay?!"  
  
She scowled at me again.  
  
"Fine."  
  
_I guess I deserved that…_  
  
I swallowed and turned to leave.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
I turned to see Rika leaning heavily on Renamon.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Rika looked a little embarrassed then, but said something I never thought I'd hear from her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
I smiled.  
  
"No problem Rika!"  
  
She smiled weakly, then directed her attention to Renamon.  
  
"Could you give me a lift home? I don't exactly feel up to it right now."  
  
Renamon nodded.  
  
"Of course, Rika."  
  
Renamon digivolved to Kuybimon, and took off, Rika on her back. I smiled at Leomon. I noticed he looked a little distracted.  
  
"What's wrong Leomon?"  
  
"Nothing. It's just…"  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"Being SaberLeomon…"  
  
"What about it?"  
  
I was getting a little concerned now. Leomon didn't often have trouble telling me things.  
  
"It felt… familiar…"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"That's the best thing I can think to describe it. Like I've been SaberLeomon before, but I haven't…"  
  
"That's weird. Well, don't worry about it. Probably just first time jitters of something."  
  
He nodded, but I could tell he was still worried about it. I sighed.  
  
"Let's go home and get you some rest. You deserve it after today."  
  
He nodded, this time with a bit more certainty, and we left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I walked in the door, not really looking forward to confronting my mom again after today. I was still mentally exhausted after the battle in the cemetery. My mom was sitting at the table when I walked in.  
  
"Rika, we should talk…"  
  
"I'm not really in the mood mom…"  
  
Mom sighed then, and she seemed to sag in her chair.  
  
"That's what we need to discuss Rika. Your mood."  
  
It was my turn to sigh now. I wasn't getting out of this one, and I knew it. I slid into the chair across from her. She started to speak again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I touched the goggles at my belt for reassurance as I approached West Shinjuku High. My mom's speech had consisted of basically two things beyond the usual 'straighten up and fly right' thing. She was staying home, and I was going to public school. Feeling the goggles under my hand, I smiled. Little by little, things were getting better. I let my eyes drift up to the sky.  
  
_Wherever you are, thanks Goggles._


	11. Adventures and Misadventures

Chapter 9 - Adventures and Misadventures  
  
"So how far do we have to go again Joe?"  
  
I glanced down at Gomamon.  
  
"Until we get some answers or run out of land, I guess."  
  
He sighed, not that I could blame him. We'd been walking pretty far. I squinted at something in the distance, and then turned to Matt.  
  
"Is that a town over there?"  
  
He looked at where I pointed, and squinted himself.  
  
"I think so. Let's go have a look. Can't hurt, right?"  
  
He and Gabumon hurried forward, along with Gomamon. Something didn't feel right. I couldn't describe the feeling I was having. The best way I could put it was that it felt like we were walking in with our pants down.  
  
_Oh that's a real mature description. And I'm supposed to be a _doctor_?_  
  
Okay, so maybe not with our pants down, but something to that effect, like there was something going on down there that I wasn't sure I wanted to be a part of.  
  
"Hey Joe, you coming?"  
  
I blushed a little.  
  
_I'm supposed to be the oldest and I'm sitting here woolgathering. Great._  
  
"Coming Gomamon!"  
  
After another half hours walk, we finally reached the town. It resembled a port city in most respects. Or at least it would have, if there hadn't been an odd looking mud everywhere. I scraped some off and felt the texture. A little lumpy.  
  
_Strange…_  
  
Gomamon and I followed Matt and Gabumon around the city. It was deserted, really deserted. Nobody anywhere.  
  
"Hey Joe, do you think that the smell might have driven everyone out?"  
  
I frowned at Matt's question.  
  
_Smell? What smell?_  
  
Then it hit me. It smelled incredibly bad here. I mean _really_ bad.  
  
"Maybe. But couldn't they get rid of it?"  
  
Matt looked at me like I was crazy.  
  
"How? In case you hadn't noticed, it's coming from the mud around here. How could they get rid of it all?"  
  
"Oh. Well I hadn't noticed. But I suppose you're right. While this is pretty weird, I don't think bad smells are exactly the evil force Azulongmon was talking about."  
  
"I don't know Joe, this mud smells pretty evil to me."  
  
"Gomamon, be serious for once will you?"  
  
"Sure thing Joe."  
  
We walked around town some more, and never once encountered a single living thing. Unless you count the smell. I was almost convinced it was a free-floating, invisible life form with rather permanent BO. But, Matt was right; the mud was the source of the smell. I had held some up to my nose to be sure about it. Then, as we were about to leave and try somewhere else, Matt tripped and fell. He had tripped over a strange looking rock in the mud.  
  
"Ouch…"  
  
That, surprisingly, came not from Matt, who was still face down in the mud, but from the rock he had tripped over. The rock spoke again.  
  
"Can you help me up?"  
  
"Uh, sure…"  
  
I reached down to the 'rock' and pulled. What ever it was was really stuck. I pulled a little too hard and the rock came out, as I fell flat on my back. The rock like creature now rested on my chest. I looked at it a little more closely.  
  
_It's a ShellNumemon._  
  
"Thank you boy. I don't suppose you could bring me to the water could you?"  
  
"S-sure."  
  
We brought the ShellNumemon to the water's edge and threw him in as he asked. He came up pretty clean.  
  
"Whew, that's better. Now, what brings you kids here?"  
  
I hesitated a little before answering. My feeling from earlier was back with a vengeance.  
  
"Well, we're here trying to look for signs of some great evil Azulongmon told us about."  
  
"Hmmm. Well, I rather doubt this is it, it's pretty small time now, but everyone's abandoned the village!"  
  
Matt grimaced.  
  
"The smell right?"  
  
The ShellNumemon nodded.  
  
"About a week ago our village and a couple others in the area started coming under constant attack by some Sukamon led by a PlatinumSukamon, and…"  
  
My eyes bugged out for a second.  
  
"D-did you say Sukamon?!"  
  
ShellNumemon looked at me a little strangely.  
  
"Sure did boy. Why? Is a Digidestined like yourself scared of them?"  
  
Matt, Gabumon, Gomamon, and I just stared at each other for a second. Then we sprinted for the edge and threw ourselves in. Twenty minutes later we were more or less clean again, if still wet (Gabumon was complaining about his fur), and we were eying the town a little apprehensively. Matt looked at me.  
  
"I do _not_ want to go back in there."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Neither do I, but we have to Matt."  
  
He nodded, and we went back in, a little more careful not to touch anything this time. We went back up to the ShellNumemon.  
  
"Where exactly are these Sukamon?"  
  
"A little ways westward friends. Why you thinking of taking them on?"  
  
"Yeah, we're Digidestined after all, it's what we do."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Good luck boys! Maybe once I get this town clean the others will come back."  
  
We left in a westerly course into some trees.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Gabumon Warp Digivolve to… MetalGarurumon!**  
  
"What'd you do that for?"  
  
"Maybe the Sukamon will just give up on site with a mega here."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Makes sense."  
  
We eventually reached a clearing that smelled pretty much like the town and stopped.  
  
_This has to be the place…_  
  
We entered the clearing cautiously. When we reached the center, Sukamon popped out everwhere. Their ranks parted slightly and a PlatinumSukamon came out into the clearing. MetalGarurumon growled a little.  
  
"What do you guys want?"  
  
Matt growled himself.  
  
"We want you to stop harassing the villages around here!"  
  
"No can do bo…"  
  
He only now seemed to see MetalGarurumon. He gulped, and hopped backwards a little.  
  
"Well, maybe we could…"  
  
"Good."  
  
"…but we'd have to leave the area completely."  
  
"So do it!"  
  
_Note to self: Diplomacy isn't Matt's strong point._  
  
The PlatinumSukamon nodded.  
  
"Alright. METAL BOMBER!"  
  
He reached back, and a metal 'poo ball' appeared in his hands. He chucked it, and it landed on Matt's face. Then there was a cry of attack from the surrounding Sukamon.  
  
"BOMBER!"  
  
These weren't metal, so they didn't hurt as much, but soon all four of us were covered from head to toe again. When we managed to open our eyes, they were gone. Two hours later, we were mostly clean and dry again, and were leaving the village and its thankful ShellNumemon behind. Matt shuddered.  
  
"That was not cool."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"So we're in agreement then?"  
  
He nodded back, and our digimon nodded with him. The four of us all spoke at once.  
  
"May we never speak of this again."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What could have done this?"  
  
We were standing the middle of what used to be a village.  
  
_I think. With all the damage, all you can tell is that something once stood here, but I'm not sure what. By the size I'm pretty sure it was a village though._  
  
"I'm not sure TK, but I think the trail leads off that way."  
  
I pointed roughly southeast. TK nodded.  
  
"We'd better find out what's up there then, Cody."  
  
"Right. Armadillomon, let's go."  
  
"Right Cody!"  
  
We set off on our trek northeast. The trail was well hidden in some spots, but we always found it again. It was obvious that whatever was up here didn't want to be found. We kept walking for about an hour when we came across a ridge. We crawled up to the edge and looked over at the other side.  
  
_That's not good._  
  
On the other side of the ridge were some Golemon and Mekanorimon. They appeared to be digging for some reason. These weren't exactly the digimon I'd use for digging though; I'd use some Drimogemon.  
  
_Or a certain Digmon…_  
  
I frowned at what I saw next. Apparently it was a village that had been torn apart. Pieces of it were being used to make a coral for captured digimon, which were being used to dig for them.  
  
_Now it makes sense, any digimon who specialized in digging would simply tunnel out too fast for them to notice._  
  
They were using excess timbers to shore up the walls as they continued. Something with more intelligence than Golemon or Mekanorimon was directing this operation, I knew.  
  
"What do you think TK?"  
  
He smiled a little nervously.  
  
"Too many to take on at once, even with Shakkoumon. But we still have to rescue those digimon."  
  
I nodded. Then I got an idea.  
  
"We'll dig in!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Digmon can do it. Right Armadillomon?"  
  
"Right Cody! Let me at 'em!"  
  
TK nodded.  
  
"Patamon and I will keep them occupied while you sneak off with the other digimon."  
  
**Armor  
Digivolution_  
  
Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to… Digmon!  
  
Patamon Armor Digivolve to… Pegasusmon!**  
  
TK mounted Pegasusmon and flew up. I could hear the confusion he was causing and decided that now was a good time for Digmon and I to make our move.  
  
"Ready Digmon?"  
  
"Anytime Cody!"  
  
Digmon set his drills and flew into the dirt from our shielded location. I hopped down inside after him and followed, running to keep up. Then, he stopped.  
  
"What's wrong Digmon?"  
  
"There's something down here Cody."  
  
"What? What else can dig like you? Drimogemon would never work for these guys."  
  
"Not a digimon Cody… a structure."  
  
"Hmmm. It's probably what the guys up top are looking for. Just leave it for now, we've got work to do."  
  
"Right!"  
  
Then the dirt flew again as he dug into the tunnel once more. I wandered behind Digmon, and the next thing I saw ahead of him was daylight.  
  
"Are we there?"  
  
"Yep! Right where I'd thought we'd be."  
  
We came up into a group made of various rookies and champions. They looked more than a little scared of us, and I spoke quietly.  
  
"We're here to get you out! Come on! Go through the tunnel!"  
  
They complied without words, understanding the need for silence. Once we were alone, I ordered Digmon forward.  
  
"Destroy the wall Digmon! Let's help TK!"  
  
"I thought we didn't want them to know we were here Cody."  
  
"That was then, but right now I think that Pegasusmon could use a hand."  
  
"Right Cody! ROCK CRACKING!"  
  
The attack was, as stated, meant to destroy steel and, well, rocks, so the flimsy wood barrier exploded into splinters and showered the enemy forces. Pegasusmon was grounded, unable to lift his wings to fly anymore.  
  
"STAR SHOWER!"  
  
Pegasusmon's attack flew into the enemy, distracting them from rushing us, but it didn't last long. He lost his energy and dedigivolved into Patamon. We forced our way over to TK, and spun to defend him. The Golemon and Mekanorimon closed.  
  
"TWIN BE-"  
  
"ROCK BA-"  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
Half of the enemy forces disintegrated before our eyes as Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode flew over the ridge…   
  
…wearing a blue scarf?  
  
Ken and Davis walked in and the rest of them scattered over the hills. They were smiling broadly as they walked over.  
  
"We saw Pegasusmon from the town we were in, so we thought we'd give you a hand."  
  
"I should have known. But what's with the scarf?"  
  
Davis rolled his eyes.  
  
"Veemon seems to have a talent for card playing, TK."  
  
Imperialdramon dedigivolved, and there was Veemon in a ten-gallon hat, and Wormmon had the blue scarf on.  
  
"I thought that the scarf was Veemon's? Why's Wormmon have it?"  
  
Veemon reached for his throat, then looked at Wormmon. He glared for a second, then let it drop.  
  
"Ah, well, he can have it, it didn't exactly show up on me anyways. I wonder why the scarf showed on Imperialdramon though? It's kind of annoying…"  
  
Davis laughed. Ken smiled as well, then spoke.  
  
"So, what happened here?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was in a cell, that was for certain, but the bricks were yellow, or at least they were in the torchlight. Finally able to move, I felt for my digivice, only to find it missing. I sobbed a little.  
  
_How will anyone ever find me?_   



	12. Bad News

Chapter 10 - Bad News  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
I was standing in the canyon with Azulongmon overhead. I sighed.  
  
"You want the bad news first?"  
  
Azulongmon sighed as well.  
  
"Do you have any good news to give me?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Then why not."  
  
"Sora's been kidnapped."  
  
He looked a little downcast, but not terribly surprised.  
  
"I figured as much, what with you bringing Biyomon here without her present. But the question is, who would try it?"  
  
"I'm not sure. You know more about the history here. Who could command a Mummymon to do something like that?"  
  
Azulongmon looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Hmmm. Most Mummymon, unlike the one that worked for Oikawa, are intelligent and arrogant. Not many could command one, and no ultimate level would consider going against the Digidestined they'd be wiped out. That certainly does narrow it down quite a bit. I'll have Gennai dig some more and we'll get back to you."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Then there's the question of why they want her in the first place. A bargaining tool, or something else?"  
  
Azulongmon cleared his throat.  
  
"Let's start with who. That might help us with why."  
  
"I could have stopped this you know."  
  
Azulongmon looked down at me, surprised.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I could have, but my… restrictions… inhibited me."  
  
He looked at me, thinking.  
  
"Yes, I suppose you could have. I see what you're getting at. Your leash is off Takato. Try not to use cards or biomerge in front of the others, but consider it more of a guideline than a rule."  
  
He paused for a moment.  
  
"As long as we're opening doors here, why don't you head west? Tai and Izzy are out there, and Tai especially should be informed of the situation."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"You'll take care of Biyomon?"  
  
"Of course. Go. And be careful Takato."  
  
I nodded again.  
  
"Come on boy."  
  
"Right Takatomon!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Holding Agumon I ran forward, not looking behind me. I knew that the three digimon behind me were close. Then, to make things worse, a dark shape rose up in front of me, and I collapsed onto the ground.  
  
_It's been fun world. Sorry I couldn't save you Izzy._  
  
I heard the other three come up behind us. I shut my eyes and waited for the end.  
  
"TRIPLE FO-"  
  
"EXHAUST FLAME!"  
  
I blinked my eyes open and I looked up. The one in front of me was looking back behind me at Cyclonemon, Tuskmon, and Del…  
  
_No. He deleted Deltamon._  
  
I turned back to the dino in front of me and saw Takato walk up beside it.  
  
"BlackGrowlmon… go."  
  
The dino nodded and charged in. Takato smiled at me and held out his hand. I took it and he helped me up.  
  
"You're a hard man to find. If BlackGrowlmon hadn't sensed a battle happening, we wouldn't have found you."  
  
"SLAMMING TUSK!"  
  
"PLASMA BLADE!"  
  
I turned and saw BlackGrowlmon slice right through Tuskmon's tusks, robbing him of his primary weapons.  
  
"ARM BOMBER!"  
  
I watched him turn to meet the new threat, the Cyclonemon, by biting and clamping down on the large arm. I could hear him speak through the Cyclonemon's arm.  
  
"EXHAUST FLAME!"  
  
BlackGrowlmon's generated a flame that had nowhere to go but onto Cyclonemon's arm, deleting the digimon instantly. He then was tackled from behind by the nearly crippled Tuskmon, sending him to the ground. BlackGrowlmon swatted Tuskmon off with his tail, and jumped to his feet. The long nail-like appendage on his arm glowed.  
  
"PLASMA BLADE!"  
  
The Tuskmon fell, deleting as it went down. Takato glanced around.  
  
"Where's Izzy?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"He fell through the ground back that way."  
  
I pointed into the west towards where I had lost him.  
  
"We'd better go look for him then."  
  
I nodded, and we set out, BlackGrowlmon close behind. I glanced back. Now that the battle was over, he seemed much the same as his rookie form. Happy. The expression on his face was completely innocent. Agumon woke up then, and I put him down. He ran forward to talk to BlackGrowlmon.  
  
"Well, Takato, your BlackGrowlmon is certainly impressive."  
  
Takato smiled.  
  
"Just wait until you see his ultimate form."  
  
I frowned.  
  
"I thought he _was_ an ultimate."  
  
He blinked at me.  
  
"BlackGrowlmon, an ultimate? You must be joking."  
  
"He took out three champions that downed Greymon and Kabuterimon without breaking a sweat. Of course I thought he was an ultimate."  
  
Takato stopped and looked at his digimon for a moment, who was clearing the path ahead of us. He looked thoughtful as he spoke.  
  
"BlackGrowlmon is… special… all of his digivolutions are abnormally powerful."  
  
He smiled a little.  
  
"And most southern quadrant digimon are stronger than the ones around here anyway."  
  
I took a little offense to that, looking at my partner, talking with BlackGrowlmon as he worked, and was a little harsh when I spoke.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
He glanced at me and sighed.  
  
"Me and my big mouth… The southern digital world is a constant fight for survival. A digimon who lives to make it to champion out there is really lucky."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"But, enough of that. Where did you say Izzy fell through?"  
  
"Over there."  
  
I pointed south a little. We walked over, and I recognized the tree off at the edge of our sight that had almost crushed me. Takato looked at the ground carefully.  
  
"BlackGrowlmon, do you think you can dig through this?"  
  
"I can try Takatomon!"  
  
He dug in, dirt flying. After a minute, he stopped and jumped out of the hole.  
  
"Takatomon! There are too many roots in my way!"  
  
He sighed, closed his eyes and fingered the card holder at his waist.  
  
_Wait. Card holder?_  
  
He looked at me.  
  
"I can still do this, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"If it helps us save Izzy, I promise."  
  
"Good. Hang on a second boy, let me find the right card!"  
  
"Okay Takatomon!"  
  
He pulled the deck out and rifled through it. I walked over and looked over his shoulder at the cards. He glanced back at me.  
  
"Back home, Digimon was a card game before we found out it was real. We use the cards to enhance our digimon."  
  
He pulled out a card and smiled.  
  
"Haven't used this for a while."  
  
His gloved glowed a little then, and the symbol on the top gained half an inch in height.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Digmon's Drill Activate!**  
  
BlackGrowlmon's forearms glowed and morphed into drills. I was more than a little impressed.  
  
"Wow. That's pretty cool."  
  
"Go for it boy!"  
  
BlackGrowlmon jumped back in the hole and we crowded the edges to try to see what was happening. Then, the ground shattered beneath us, and we tumbled through, just like Izzy had earlier. Looking up, I saw the whole closing up again. Takato was looking carefully at his cards, trying not to loose them. He was doing a surprisingly good job. BlackGrowlmon tumbled below us, drills gone.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Aero Wing Activate!**  
  
BlackGrowlmon then grew two large tattered bat-like wings. He flew up and caught the three of us. Takato patted his digimon's arm.  
  
"Good job boy. Let's land and try to find Izzy."  
  
The dino with wings landed in the forest below us, and the wings disappeared from his back. Takato's glove went back to normal, and he motioned to BlackGrowlmon. He dedigivolved to BlackGuilmon, and we set out. Bout twenty minutes later, we discovered Izzy, laying with Tentomon, asleep by a fire. Takato smiled.  
  
"He seems fine."  
  
I looked a little skeptical.  
  
"Yeah, but how?"  
  
A voice came from behind us.  
  
"Lilymon caught him when he fell through. I came when I felt Palmon use my crest."  
  
We spun to see Mimi and Palmon coming up behind us. We both sighed in relief. We heard a snort from behind us. We looked back to see Izzy waking up. He blinked sleepily a few times, then smiled at us.  
  
"Tai, Takato! I'm glad you're okay!"  
  
I looked back at Izzy. Agumon spoke up.  
  
"We should be the ones worried about you! We didn't know what happened when you fell through the ground like that!"  
  
Izzy laughed, and we sat around the fire. Takato did not. He turned his back to the fire for a moment. I looked at him.  
  
"What's wrong Takato?"  
  
"Tai… I… I… I'm sorry Tai."  
  
I frowned.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Takato wasn't listening though. He sounded close to tears as he spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect her, but I couldn't! I just couldn't! And now she's gone! He took her! I'm sorry!"  
  
I felt something cold settle in the pit of my stomach. I spoke softly.  
  
"Who is she?"  
  
Takato still wasn't listening.  
  
"That stupid Mummymon took her! And I didn't protect her! I could have! I should have!"  
  
I got up and punched him, dropping him to the ground. He lay there for a second, stunned. I spoke again.  
  
"Who was taken Takato?"  
  
He answered so softly that I almost couldn't hear him.  
  
"Sora…"  
  
I felt something a kin to shock, then the cold feeling rose from my stomach and went to my mind, shoving the emotions out. I turned to the others.  
  
"We're leaving. Now."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We waited impatiently for Kari and Yolie. Takato and I had avoided the subject of exactly how we had gotten down to Izzy when we told our part, and now we waited for my sister and her friend to return. I had that cold feeling in my stomach again. Ten minutes later we saw something in the distance. A limping figure. Yolie. Ken rushed out to her and helped her in. I looked at her.  
  
"What happened? Where's Kari?"  
  
Yolie broke down and sobbed.  
  
"Ice… Devimon… said he wanted a partner… took Kari… I almost didn't… didn't… KARI!"  
  
Yolie's crying faded to the occasional sob as she spoke.  
  
"Silphymon almost had him down, but he deleted some of the digimon around him, and did… something… to their data, and he was healed again! And he had gotten stronger too! Kari, sacrificed her self for me…"  
  
She broke down again now, and TK leapt up, flames in his eyes.  
  
"What are we waiting for?! Let's go get her back!"  
  
Takato, however, had a worried expression in his eyes. He looked at Azulongmon.  
  
"Do you think…?"  
  
Azulongmon nodded.  
  
"It is very likely Takato."  
  
TK looked at Takato, not very pleased.  
  
"Friend of yours?"  
  
"Humph. More like enemy. I though I deleted that guy."  
  
He looked at me then, a strange look in his eyes.  
  
"I'm going after him. Alone."  
  
I stared at him hard for a moment, searching his eyes. I saw pain, anger, and determination.  
  
_He needs this. He feels he has to make up for not protecting Sora. And besides, with the things I just saw him do, he aught to be safe enough._  
  
I nodded and walked over to him.  
  
"Okay. Just make sure you bring her back in one piece."  
  
He smiled grimly.  
  
"I won't leave until IceDevimon is in pieces."  
  
Takato looked at Azulongmon, who nodded. He struck out north, following Yolie's footprints. TK glared at me.  
  
"Why did you let him do that? Not only is he a rookie, this is personal to me!"  
  
I looked at TK and sighed.  
  
"One, he's not a rookie. He's pretty good. Two, if I told him no, he'd have gone anyway. Just let him do it."  
  
TK looked at me with anger, not really caring. Azulongmon attempted to placate him as well.  
  
"It's personal to Takato as well. He and this IceDevimon have fought before. He kidnapped one of his friends with the intention of making her his partner. It was almost two years ago."  
  
Ken's eyes widened a little, and went up and whispered in TK's ear. The anger seemed to drain out him then. He nodded to Ken and turned back to the rest of us.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just…"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Try to put it out of your mind for now. Let's concentrate on finding Sora and this mysterious enemy for now."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"We could go back to that underground place that Digmon found. Maybe there are some clues there."  
  
"Alright. Let's do it. We don't have much else to go on anyways."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked at the silvery clip in my hands, feeling the contours as I gazed at it.  
  
_I want to go home…_  
  
One of the walls opened and Mummymon stepped through.  
  
"The boss wants to see you missy. Be a good girl and come along."  
  
He grabbed my hand and yanked me roughly to my feet. The pin flew out of my hands and into the corner. I grabbed at it, but Mummymon was already dragging me out of the room. He dragged me rather roughly through some corridors to a room. Then I gasped.  
  
I was looking straight at a leering Datamon. 


	13. Tombs, Ice and Stone

Chapter 11 – Tombs, Ice and Stone  
  
Datamon was as crazy looking as ever, and he was looking me up and down in a way that made me feel extremely uncomfortable.  
  
_What the hell does he want from me? I wish he would just go away! I want to be at home! Even working in the shop is better than this! Why won't he just leave me alone?_  
  
I sobbed a little before I could stop myself. Datamon heard and his leer grew wider, grinning as he spoke.  
  
"So my dear, have you enjoyed your stay so far? Heh heh heh…"  
  
I tried to back away, but Mummymon held me tight in his grip. Datamon came forward on a floating metal disc and reached out with his cold metal hand to caress my cheek. I shied away, then spat at him, my saliva hitting his shiny dome. Mummymon laughed, and Datamon scowled, but he shortly regained his composure and his leering smile. I summoned up a little courage, and looked Datamon in the eye.  
  
_Glad to see there's no lost love between these two, maybe I can exploit that…_  
  
"We'll have a good time together, my dear. Mummymon! Take her to the machine!"  
  
Mummymon sneered at Datamon, but complied, dragging me towards a familiar device on the wall.  
  
_A digital cloning machine…_  
  
I started struggling harder then, kicking at Mummymon and trying to loosen his grip. He slapped the back of his hand across my face, hard. Datamon saw and grew angry, jumping up and down like a spoiled child.  
  
"Don't harm her you twit! Or she'll be useless to us! I need her functional!"  
  
"Fine, metal trash, but the results had better be worth it! Our master will not be pleased otherwise!"  
  
Datamon waved his hand dismissively and turned back to his computer as Mummymon locked me in the machine.  
  
"Yes, yes. It will all go as Pharaohmon wants it to. As _I_ want it to. I have worked to hard to have my revenge to be stopped now. Have your people on the surface had any more luck locating that knight? That Zanbamon was supposed to keep the Digidestined occupied for days, and that stupid black knight deleted it in an hour's time."  
  
The Mummymon seemed a little calmer now.  
  
"No. Our spies tell us that it was not a digidestined digimon though, as they came asking about it a few hours later."  
  
"Hmmm, perhaps it may be turned to our side. An ally like that, combined with this plan, and we would not have to worry about the digidestined at all, if the rumors of it overwhelming Imperialdramon are true."  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
They both turned and looked at me. Datamon chuckled and hit a few buttons on his machine, and the analyzing band on the table I was strapped to began to hum and move down, at an excruciatingly low pace.  
  
The Mummymon watched for a moment and left, leaving me alone with Datamon.  
  
"What do you want from me you creep?!"  
  
Datamon chuckled again.  
  
"What do I want? I want revenge girl. And working with Pharaohmon guarantees me a place of leadership as well, over both worlds!"  
  
"With all the peace in the last year, Azulongmon would have felt you gaining power. Why didn't we?"  
  
Datamon blinked, the chuckled again.  
  
_I'm really starting to hate that chuckle…_  
  
"Well, it's said that the villain is always ruined in the exposition, but, as your idiotic surface dwelling digi-fools will never find us, and I have a little time until the machine is finished with you, why not?  
  
_Datamon has definitely lost a few more sprockets since we met last…_  
  
"It must have been about six months ago. I was sitting at the bottom of my pyramid, plotting plots of revenge, and dreaming dreams of greatness, when it occurred to me why you stupid idiots always win. You come across a foe far superior to yourselves, and you turn the tables. Why?  
  
"The answer, of course, is relatively simple. You are the digidestined. This gives you power and ability beyond the scope available to every villain out there. Until now. You see, I am taking your data, and that of your digivice here…"  
  
He patted the table next to him and I saw my digivice laying on it.  
  
"…to replicate you perfectly. Perfectly mindless, that is. Think of it! Evil virus digimon with a digidestined slave to increase their power ten, no, one hundred fold! Granting them the power of digivolution at will! It will be glorious!"  
  
The band had passed the half way point then, and his computer bleeped. He floated over to it on his disc and proceeded to check something, what I'm not sure. Then he returned to where I was and proceeded to speak once more.  
  
"Where was I? Oh, yes. But, upon realization of my idea, I knew it would most likely end in vain like my last unfortunate attempt, so I needed an ally. I had heard of, in ancient times, of a digimon warlord with incredible power, one of the many foes sealed by your predecessors, interestingly enough. So, I searched far and wide, until I came across and old manuscript in a tomb detailing where Pharaohmon lay, sealed and asleep.  
  
"Finding the location was easy enough. There was an entrance hidden behind a thin sheath of rock in server's desert. There were many digimon in guard around the tomb, but once I made my intentions known, they were more than happy to guide me to my destination. I entered and awoke the great lord himself, and made pact with him. His rage against the digidestined was great as well, and is content enough to take it the current ones if he can not destroy the originals.  
  
"So, he has lent me this lab, deep in the heart of our base. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the majority of his army behind when the entrance collapsed, but we have well over one hundred digimon here, and that will be more than enough, considering the tunnel entrance is being reopened as we speak. And now that we have you, well, you know that already. Besides, it appears our time is done."  
  
He was more or less right; the machine was almost done with my feet. He pressed a button on his console, and Mummymon came back in.  
  
"Be a good little lapdog and return the girl to her cell. I have all I need for now."  
  
The Mummymon scowled at Datamon.  
  
"What do you mean for now?"  
  
Datamon shrugged.  
  
"Only that I may need her unharmed for additional testing if there is something I can't quite figure out with out more than a cursory scan like this one. So, I need her alive for now. Out you go, I have work to do."  
  
Mummymon growled and flung me over his shoulder. As I was carried from the room, I saw my nightmares come true again. On the second bed, a second me was already forming.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
BlackGuilmon Digivolve to… BlackGrowlmon!**  
  
Once out of sight of the digidestined, I ordered BlackGuilmon to digivolve. I looked up at my friend.  
  
"How do you feel, boy?"  
  
"Angry, Takatomon! IceDevimon hurt our friends! IceDevimon hurt Renamon! IceDevimon needs to be deleted!"  
  
I took note of the boiling rage in BlackGrowlmon's voice as well as his words. That said two things. One, that BlackGrowlmon was not saying what he thought I wanted to hear, he thought it too. The second was that I needed to moderate the rage that I was feeling, so further problems involving a ten story berserk killing machine wouldn't crop up later. I attempted to calm down, then nodded to him.  
  
"Alright, boy, I'm coming up."  
  
He nodded back and crouched down, making for easier access. I got on and looked north. BlackGrowlmon rose with me at his neck, and started forward at a walk, then increasing his pace to a run.  
  
_He's out there, and he'll pay._  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Hyper Speed Activate!**  
  
BlackGrowlmon used his newly enhanced speed, and we were rushing off thorough the twilight towards our old foe. The Hyper Speed card wore off as we were exiting the desert, but BlackGrowlmon kept moving. I used a recharged card on him, but refrained from using the speed card again. Now was where we had to watch carefully for signs that the girls had been there.  
  
Kari and Yolie must have been on Aquilamon and Nefertimon, because we hadn't even reached ice country yet, which was where a demon like IceDevimon was likely to be, and we hadn't seen a single sign that they had been through there. An hour later, we were still trudging northward, and I was beginning to wonder how a wounded Yolie and Hawkmon had made it so far without collapsing and falling unconscious. Then, the landscape began changing suddenly to a frosty, chilled atmosphere, and I knew we had made it.  
  
The frozen north.  
  
New home of IceDevimon.  
  
I hopped down, and BlackGrowlmon dedigivolved, both to conserve energy and to keep us relatively unnoticed as we walked forward. We stopped as we came across signs of struggle. Looking at the devastation, I figured that this had been where they had fought, but obviously not IceDevimon's base of operations. BlackGuilmon and I looked around, searching for any sign of prints, but the only ones I found were leading back south, obviously Yolie and Hawkmon's by the sizes.  
  
_Great, now what? Maybe BlackGuilmon's found something._  
  
"You smell anything boy?"  
  
"IceDevimon…"  
  
BlackGuilmon growled the word, making me a little freaked out.  
  
"Can you track him?"  
  
BlackGuilmon growled and nodded.  
  
_Guess that last battle with ol' Icy affected him more than I thought. While IceDevimon was thought deleted he was fine, but now… well, I can't say I blame him. I'll feel better once we put that jackass down myself. But, I mean, I'm really angry about what happened because it happened to Rika. BlackGuilmon doesn't ha…_  
  
The thought stopped me in my tracks.  
  
_Is BlackGuilmon sweet on Renamon? I'll have to ask him later. It sounds crazy, but it's the only thing I can think of to make him this mad. Especially when I'm making a real effort to remain calm._  
  
I pondered my thoughts about my digimon as I followed him up the trail into a mountain range.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I moaned in pain as I regained consciousness. My body hurt all over. I opened my eyes and fought the urge to throw up. Sealed in a tomb of ice was Gatomon, eyes open and expression horrified, forever etched on her face. I attempted to stand, and this time, nausea overwhelmed me, and I _did_ throw up. I heard a haunting voice behind me.  
  
"So, you're awake. Are you enjoying yourself?"  
  
I tried to scramble away, but slipped on the ice. A clawed hand reached over and picked me up, setting me on my feet. Behind IceDevimon I could see all kinds of Icemon and Hyougamon.  
  
_Gatomon's frozen and I have no clue where Yolie is…_  
  
He waved a hand around behind him, where I saw even more digimon frozen in ice, looks of horror etched on their faces as well. I froze, unable even to breathe for an instant.  
  
"Aren't they glorious? Many digimon have fallen under my hand! They ones that I chose not to delete, well, they become my… sculptures, my… art. They are wondrous, are they not?"  
  
I stared in horror at the blocks of ice in front of me, unable to day a word. I stared in some twisted fascination at what was in front of me.  
  
_How can a digimon be so… cruel!_  
  
He kept talking.  
  
"You like them, don't you? Yes, I can tell. You can't take your eyes off of them. Do you want me to make you some more?"  
  
I opened my mouth to say no, but never got a word out.  
  
"Of course you do! Well, I can get more digimon to make them with, just you wait and see! I can do it… and you can help…"  
  
I backed up slowly, away from the insane glint in his eyes as he looked at me, unable to see anything but what he wanted to see. The digimon surrounding him watched him, studying him.  
  
"And you will help, won't you? You love my art here so much… Yes, you would love to help me, and why should you not? I am the strongest champion level digimon in existence! With the help of a partner, I could be unstoppable! You could have all you ever wanted! You could be victorious over any who opposed us! Power, riches fame! It's all now within your grasp! Just join with me! Make me your partner! All will fall before us!"  
  
A new voice spoke from the doorway.  
  
"What is it with you and kidnapping pretty girls to make them your partner? If Rika Nonaka, in all her 'must be the strongest' attitude wouldn't take a loser like you, what make you think that Kari Kamiya, queen of all that is love, fluff, and puppy dogs would ever go along with you?"  
  
I looked over. There, with a smirk on his face was Takato, leaning against the cave mouth with his arms crossed over his chest. IceDevimon was shocked.  
  
"You! But, th-that's im…"  
  
"Impossible? Not really, but I would have said the same for you. Imagine my surprise when Yolie stumbles into camp, mumbling about a deranged IceDevimon."  
  
The two stared at each other for a moment, then IceDevimon spoke.  
  
"Humph. You won't take advantage of me again, boy! I'm far more powerful than before! Your Guilmon doesn't stand a chance!"  
  
Takato chuckled.  
  
"Actually, he's _Black_Guilmon now. But, I'm sure he wants to say hello too. BlackGuilmon…"  
  
BlackGuilmon walked slowly around Takato, his golden eyes feral, and he was growling lightly. You could almost see the aura of hate he was giving off. BlackGuilmon spoke.  
  
_He does not look happy._  
  
"IceDevimon… for all that you did to Rika and Renamon, for all that you did to Kari and Gatomon, I _will_ delete you!"  
  
_What happened between these two?_  
  
IceDevimon didn't look happy. He waved and arm.  
  
"Icemon! Forward!"  
  
The champion level data digimon surged forward, there were about ten of them.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The attack burst through three of them, deleting them instantly. Takato called out calmly to BlackGuilmon.  
  
"Keep yourself fresh, boy."  
  
BlackGuilmon nodded, and glowed slightly, and the data that hadn't yet disappeared drained into him, just like what IceDevimon had done. I gasped in disbelief.  
  
_What the heck are these two?_  
  
One Icemon surged ahead of the rest and charged BlackGuilmon.  
  
"ICE STRIKE!"  
  
BlackGuilmon tilted his head to one side, allowing the Icemon's fist to sail by. He then lifted the Icemon and tossed him with ease, knocking down three more, before turning to the last three and leaping at them. He knocked the first down with his feet as he came crashing in, and turned to the one on his left.  
  
"ROCK SMASHER!"  
  
The Icemon shattered into pieces and drifted into the sky as data. BlackGuilmon smashed the other Icemon with his tail, knocking it into the pile of the other Icemon that were just getting up. He looked down at the struggling one beneath him and clamped his jaws around its neck, snapping the head off, eliminating it. He once more absorbed the data before turning to the five in the pile.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The launched attack deleted three more of them, and BlackGuilmon didn't hesitate to jump at the two remaining.  
  
"ICEBALL BOMB!"  
  
The attack hit and knocked BlackGuilmon to the ground, but he rolled to his feet and charged again.  
  
"ROCK SMASHER!"  
  
The poor Icemon didn't have a chance. It was reduced to data, and the last Icemon began backing away. BlackGuilmon turned, and the look in his eyes didn't change as he gathered flames in his mouth and attacked.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The final Icemon went down, BlackGuilmon destroyed the data, and I watched in horrified fascination. IceDevimon was almost comatose in his shock.  
  
"H-How?"  
  
Takato shrugged.  
  
"Simple. One, BlackGuilmon here is stronger than most champions in the southern quadrant. Here they've never even heard of loading data. Two, Icemon have so little attack power they might as well be strong rookies. Three, BlackGuilmon had type and elemental advantages. And four, he kept loading the data of his defeated, keeping him recharged and strengthening him at the same time."  
  
Takato smirked, and BlackGuilmon growled a little louder.  
  
"Easy prey."  
  
IceDevimon's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Well, you won't have such an easy time with this!"  
  
The Hyougamon surged forward. Takato didn't seem too worried though.  
  
"I'm getting bored. Time to end this. BlackGuilmon, digivolve!  
  
IceDevimon looked on horrified as BlackGuilmon began to glow. He roared in terror.  
  
"NOOOOO!"  
  
The roaring caused some of the icicles on the roof to fall. One struck me, and I knew no more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As Mummymon carried me back to my cell, I became a little worried.  
  
_Where are we that the other digidestined can't find us?_  
  
That worried me more than I would have cared to admit. Mummymon opened the cell wall, and tossed me in roughly. I hit the floor with a resounding thump. He gave me a leering grin.  
  
"There you are girly, nice and safe. But the moment shorty in there says he don't need you no more, over the side you go."  
  
I gulped, and scrambled into a corner. He laughed long and hard, then left, closing the cell behind him. I saw something shiny on the ground, my hair clip. I picked it up and clenched my fist around it, the pain distracting me from the hopelessness that I felt.  
  
The tomb was nothing but six walls, without any bars or even a visible door once it was closed. It lacked any features what so ever, so I would be forced to sleep on the floor. With a lack of any… facilities, I was forced to defecate in a corner. I lay down as far away from it as possible, attempting to ignore the smell, and tried to sleep, my hand still clenched around the clip my mother had given me.  
  
_Where are you Tai?_


	14. Puzzle Pieces

Chapter 12 - Puzzle Pieces  
  
"Where are we Cody?"  
  
"Pretty close now, Tai. Just over that ridge."  
  
I nodded, keeping myself calm, emotionless.  
  
_I need to be calm to get Sora back. Can't let my anger get the best of me._  
  
Cody led what was left of our group up to where Digmon had found the structure. There was a large hole behind a rock.  
  
**Armor  
Evolution_  
  
Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to… Digmon!**  
  
Digmon flushed out the tunnel once more, but stopped about halfway through.  
  
"Here we are! About ten feet below us is the ceiling of that tunnel we found when we were last through here."  
  
I nodded to Cody. It was easier to contain my emotions when I didn't speak. He nodded back.  
  
"Break through Digmon."  
  
"Right Cody!"  
  
Digmon fired up his drills and flew into the soil. After a bit, there was a cracking noise, and we all fell down, landing on our butts.  
  
"Owwwww…"  
  
There was more or less a collective groan from the members. Slowly, we untangled ourselves, and then we took a look at our surroundings. The walls were made of bricks in an Egyptian motif. I checked my digivice again. Still no sign of Sora. Something was still blocking the signal.  
  
_Great. I was betting it would be unblocked once we made it in here. Damn…_  
  
Choosing an arbitrary direction, we headed off. The corridor didn't really change, something that I was a little worried about. It just kept going. Then, of course, we reached a door.  
  
Which had been blown off its hinges.  
  
We walked in, and there was nothing in the room but a simple Sarcophagus, which lay open. I walked over and peered inside. Nothing. I looked at the others.  
  
"Nothing here. This room is a dead end, so we go back to where we fell through and try a new direction."  
  
They groaned, but complied.  
  
_We'll find you Sora._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
BlackGuilmon Digivolve to… BlackGrowlmon!  
  
DIGI-MODIFY! Power Activate!**  
  
I increased BlackGrowlmon's strength for battling the Hyougamon. He didn't need it, but I wanted this over quickly. An icicle had hit Kari in the forehead, drawing blood.  
  
_It could be nothing, or she could be impaired for life…_  
  
Not exactly a pleasant thing to contemplate.  
  
_*Finish it BlackGrowlmon!*  
  
*Fine.*_  
  
BlackGrowlmon let out a roar, and moved into the Hyougamon, knocking them back without using attacks. Then, a Hyougamon hit him in the back of his knee with its club, which was essentially a huge icicle.  
  
"ICY CUDGEL!"  
  
BlackGrowlmon tumbled forward, but refused to go down.  
  
"EXHAUST FLAME!"  
  
The two directly in front of him went down, and BlackGrowlmon spun quickly towards his previous attacker, using his tail to knock over many of the others.  
  
"PLASMA BLADE!"  
  
The offending Hyougamon went down quickly. I glanced at Kari. With IceDevimon between us, I still couldn't get to her. The champion was panicking. Then his face took on a look of resolve. I frowned.  
  
_That's not like him. What's he up to?_  
  
There were ten or eleven Hyougamon remaining, I couldn't get an exact count. Then IceDevimon stepped forward.  
  
Seeing an opening, I made a dash for Kari and her ice sculpture of a partner.  
  
IceDevimon raised his hand.  
  
I grabbed Kari and started moving her back towards the entrance.  
  
"FROST CLAW!"  
  
IceDevimon deleted all but two of the remaining Hyogamon, absorbing their data, BlackGrowlmon quickly finishing the rest. IceDevimon began to glow.  
  
_Crap._  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
IceDevimon Digivolve to… MarineDevimon!**  
  
The newly formed MarineDevimon grinned down at us as I finally got Kari to the cave mouth. I narrowed my eyes.  
  
"Well, that didn't last long. BlackGrowlmon…"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
BlackGrowlmon Digivolve to… BlackWarGrowlmon!**  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon roared and dove into his enemy, razor-edged arms ready to disembowel his opponent. MarineDevimon wrapped his arms around him and began to squeeze.  
  
"PRESSURE!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon roared in pain, but backhanded his opponent away. Marine Devimon slammed into the wall, and ice stalactites fell, shattering on the ground. BlackWarGrowlmon began to charge his blasters.  
  
_*NO! Don't do that until I've gotten Gatomon out of here! You'll collapse the cavern!*  
  
*Hurry Takatomon!*  
  
*I will boy. Just keep him off me until then.*_  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon didn't answer with words; instead he grabbed MarineDevimon around the waist and began to squeeze. Glad that BlackGuilmon was not entirely in danger of becoming Megidramon any time soon, I ran for Gatomon's pillar, wondering what I could do.  
  
A large crash alerted me to the fact that MarineDevimon still had fight in him and that BlackWarGrowlmon was summarily thrown off of him to the ground. I winced at the impact, but the fall answered the question of how to free Gatomon. It wouldn't be dignified, but better than dead. I picked up two fallen icicles and using them as hammer and chisel, began to tap away at the base of the six-foot column.  
  
"GUILTY BLACK!"  
  
Unfortunately, MarineDevimon didn't care if his home base was destroyed, and could use his attacks at will. BlackWarGrowlmon took the attack and pushed forward. They knocked over several more towers in their struggle, and one of them hit the one I was working on. It fell to ground with a resounding crash. I panicked, fearing the worst. Digging a little told me otherwise, Gatomon was fine. The pillar was on its side, and I cleared the top of it. I turned towards the ensuing battle, and noted with some surprise that Marine Devimon appeared to be winning, as BlackWarGrowlmon was on his back, moaning.  
  
_*What's wrong boy?*  
  
*Hungry Takatomon. I need food…*  
  
*Sorry, that will have to wait a bit. This'll help though.*_  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Recharge Activate!**  
  
_*There! Can you clear me a path to the door?*  
  
*One path, coming up!*_  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon roared back to life right beneath the smirking MarineDevimon. The smirk vanished as BlackWarGrowlmon's jets fired up, launching both into the ceiling. It was probably the best chance I would get. Rolling Gatomon's icy prison like a log, I rushed for the exit. We had just passed under them when they began to fall. I barely stopped the log at the exit. I lay there for a moment watching the two ultimate level digimon duke it out.  
  
_*Alright BlackWarGrowlmon, time to bury this freak.*  
  
*Right behind you Takatomon!*_  
  
From my place at the door, linking my mind with my digimon's, We crossed our arms and I began the attack.  
  
"ATOMIC…"  
  
"…DESTROYER!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon and I threw our arms open at the same time, firing the twin black beams. They hit MarineDevimon with surprising accuracy, driving him back into the cave wall. The structure began to shake, then it collapsed, the peak of the mountain tumbling down.  
  
I watched in disbelief as both were covered in ice and rock. Then there was a shaking, and MarineDevimon rose from the rubble.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I grumbled a bit under my breath as we retraced our steps back to our hole.  
  
_This is not the way things were supposed to go._  
  
I still couldn't believe that we weren't getting a signal from Sora's digivice. It was a good theory when I proposed it, but now that we couldn't pick up on it for tracking, it was a little moot.  
  
_And I'm feeling a little useless._  
  
I trudged forward after the others at the back of the line, and noticed Mimi talking to Tai. He shook his head, and she looked a little downcast. I suppressed a random surge of jealousy and noted that she immediately moved on to Matt, and then Joe. They also shook their heads in the negative.  
  
_What's up with her?_  
  
Tentomon buzzed around my head once more before settling into my arms. I cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Do you know what's wrong with Mimi?"  
  
"No, I can ask though…"  
  
"No! Uh, I mean, that's all right. She'll tell me if she wants me to know…"  
  
"Okay Izzy…"  
  
We walked to, and past, where we came through, and I noted that there weren't too many side tunnels, and those that did exist, ended before going to far.  
  
_This place wasn't built to live in. But what was it for then?_  
  
I continued to be puzzled by this, but Mimi's strange behavior kept intruding into my mind. I looked at her again as my mind drifted back. Her pink hair was a bit ruffled from the fall; her green blouse and blue jeans were a little dusty. The blouse had fallen loose, no longer tucked in, and the jeans had a tear just above the knee, but it only seemed to enhance her beauty. The blouse also set off her beautiful green eyes…  
  
_DAMN IT IZZY! You're turning yourself into a pervert! Stop thinking like that!_  
  
I stopped and closed my eyes; rubbing at my temples.  
  
"Are you alright Izzy?"  
  
I froze. I opened my eyes to see Mimi's concerned face in front of mine. I had to stop myself from staring stupidly again.  
  
"Y-yeah, just a… small headache. Nothing to worry about."  
  
She smiled, and the sun came up.  
  
_Gods and Digital Sovereigns! I have got to stop thinking like that!_  
  
"That's good. I wouldn't want you to get sick down here… look. Izzy… I know that this isn't the best time to ask, but…"  
  
Cody's interrupting voice came from the front, a call to quiet down and creep forward. I didn't know whether to thank him or kill him. In any event, Mimi and I were both pulled away to whatever Cody's discovery was.  
  
We crept down the corridor to find ourselves on the second floor balcony of a large room. Further examination revealed a hole in the wall of the first floor, where countless digimon were through out. Most were Golemon of Mekanorimon. But there were also Bulbmon and Megadramon, in addition to a GrandKuwagamon and another Zanbamon.  
  
_Where are they going?_  
  
I certainly explained why we hadn't seen even one digimon down here yet. They were all leaving. I looked at Mimi beside me, who looked back, the same question written on her face. Finally, the last of them poured out, and we quietly crept to the bottom floor via the staircase to our left. We went into the corridor and followed it to its end.  
  
A valley of sand, somewhere else in the digital world. Tai stood there, looking up at the afternoon sun, and I looked around while the others waited. The valley we were in was unusually flat, and was an odd shape. I walked over to the edges and examined them.  
  
_Imprint markings? Something huge must have been here, but what?_  
  
"Tentomon?"  
  
"Yes Izzy?"  
  
"I know this sounds strange, but fly around and see if you can find any giant footprints."  
  
"Okay Izzy!"  
  
Tentomon flew up and over the valley walls. I stood there, watching the sky like Tai, noting it was nearing sunset.  
  
"Izzy?"  
  
I turned.  
  
_Mimi?_  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"About earlier, I was going to ask you something… I need a favor."  
  
I smiled at her.  
  
"What favor?"  
  
She shuffled kind of nervously.  
  
_This isn't like her. What's up?_  
  
"This isn't easy to ask, but…"  
  
I smiled some more, in an effort to keep her spirits up.  
  
"It's alright, Mimi, we're friends. What do you need?"  
  
"I need a place to stay…"  
  
_What? Must be hearing wrong._  
  
"A… place to stay?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I want to come back to Japan, but I need somewhere to stay until I find a place. I was going to ask Sora, but with everything that's been going on, I don't think I should intrude…"  
  
In my shock, my mouth reacted before my brain.  
  
"Sure! I… uh, mean, that's fine… when do you, uh, get in?"  
  
_What did I just get myself into?_  
  
Mimi smiled at me again, and I locked my knees to keep myself from falling over, just to be safe. Fortunately, I was distracted.  
  
"Izzy!"  
  
Tentomon came swooping in.  
  
"Sorry Izzy, But I couldn't find any giant footprints nearby. Why'd you want to know anyway?"  
  
Mimi arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Giant footprints?"  
  
I sighed. She probably thought I was nuts.  
  
_And she might be right too._  
  
I gestured at the imprint in the ground.  
  
"This area looks like a giant imprint marking. Like when you put something heavy on carpet for a while, and when you lift it up, there's a mark on the ground. I just wondered if it had moved off. Giant mark, giant footprints."  
  
"Oh. Well, now that there aren't any footprints to be found, what's your next idea?"  
  
I sighed and looked up again.  
  
"That's a good question, Mimi. I don't know."  
  
She put her hand on my shoulder.  
  
"You'll figure it out. You always were good at puzzles."  
  
"Thanks Mimi."  
  
I watched as Tentomon buzzed over to Gomamon, setting down to begin talking. Whatever it was, Gomamon didn't know, and Tentomon flew over to Agumon, leaving footprints in the sand in front of Gomamon. I stared at it blankly before realizing what I was seeing.  
  
"That's it!"  
  
Everyone looked at me, and I suddenly became bashful. Tai looked at me, and spoke softly.  
  
"You know where they went Izzy?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"We are standing in a very large imprint. That means something heavy was here. Now, if it didn't _walk_ off, like Tentomon reports, then it must have _flown_ off, with all those digimon, and maybe Sora, inside it."  
  
Tai groaned.  
  
"So they're airborne? Great…"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"We need to go talk to Azulongmon. So much for an easy victory." 


	15. Coming Together

Chapter 13 - Coming Together  
  
MarineDevimon leered down at me, then shot into the air as the ground below him exploded, twin black beams shooting out. He exploded into data in mid air, and BlackWarGrowlmon rose out of the rubble. I smiled.  
  
"Good job boy."  
  
"Thanks Takatomon!"  
  
"Dedigivolve to BlackGrowlmon, and let's get ready to get out of here boy."  
  
He did as I asked, and we prepared to leave. He crouched down and picked up the ice pillar Gatomon was trapped in, and I climbed onto his back, Kari positioned in front of me. I drew three cards.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Recharge Activate! Aero Wing Activate! Hyper Speed Activate!**  
  
BlackGrowlmon gave out a victory roar, and we shot off though the air like a rocket, back to Azulongmon's camp.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was sunset when we came back to Azulongmon's valley. Biyomon had recovered physically, but she had secluded herself in a shallow cave and wouldn't speak to anyone. I had wanted to push on and go after Sora, but I knew that the others were beat and needed to recover. Izzy was acting funny- even for him.  
  
_Something's up with him, but I'll figure it out later. I've got enough on my mind._  
  
Which was true enough. I sent them all home, and waited there with Azulongmon, for Takato and Kari to show up. It had been a long day, and I wanted something to show for it.  
  
_Please let her be okay…_  
  
I heard a noise behind me and spun around. TK walked out of the brush.  
  
"I couldn't concentrate on anything else, so I thought I'd come back here."  
  
I nodded. No one really knew what I was going through, but TK was probably the closest to understanding. I couldn't get Sora out of my head, I knew that she was my friend, but I wanted more from the relationship.  
  
_She never seemed interested though. Not in me anyways._  
  
I thought back to the concert that was interrupted. I had known then that she was interested in Matt, but even after that never happened she never expressed any interest in me.  
  
_Though Agumon and I did receive a really big plate of cookies for Christmas that year._  
  
That thought turned my mind to a lighter mood as I looked out at the setting sun. I smiled, remembering Sora's laugh, and the way she hummed as she combed her hair, even back when we were still traveling through the digital world as kids. The knowledge of where she was now brought a tear to my eye, and I wiped it quickly away.  
  
_And Kari's missing too. I'm just glad someone is out there after her. Bet TK still wished he were out there._  
  
I glanced over at the young man in question and grimaced.  
  
_Poor guy. He's certainly not taking this well._  
  
I suppressed the very large 'big brother instinct' running through my viens. As much as I didn't like the idea of Kari dating, TK was a good choice for her. At least I knew I could trust him.  
  
"TK?"  
  
He snapped out of his private, and probably very remorseful, thoughts and looked at me.  
  
"Yeah Tai?"  
  
"How are things with you and Kari these days?"  
  
I winced internally at the question, but I needed to ask, just to get his mind off the current situation if nothing else. He smiled a bit, no doubt remembering Kari and not her predicament for the moment and answered.  
  
"Great… She's perfect… everything a guy could want. Her voice is like music, and she's funny when she wants to be…"  
  
I arched an eyebrow at his description.  
  
_Some one sounds a little obsessed…_  
  
I was trying to look at this objectively, but some of that protective instinct was still there. I buried it once more.  
  
You don't see it because you're her brother Tai, but she's beautiful, cute, and hot at the same time. When she walks I can't keep my eyes off her…"  
  
I decided enough was enough, and that for my sanity's sake, as well as TK's health, I should leave well enough alone.  
  
"Ok. TK, you're a friend, and you're almost as much my little brother as you are Matt's, but if you _ever_ talk about Kari like that in my presence again…"  
  
I trailed off, searching for the right words.  
  
"…well, I won't be happy, that's certain."  
  
TK looked a little nervous.  
  
"Sorry, Tai, won't happen again."  
  
I waved away the apology.  
  
"It's okay, I should have known what I was getting into when I asked the question. Let's just leave it."  
  
Tk nodded, then his expression changed to something a little uncertain, and he pointed at something.  
  
"Tai, what's that?"  
  
I looked out into the North and sighed in relief. I grinned at TK.  
  
"BlackGrowlmon…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I groaned as I woke up. I was lying on something soft and there was a definite sensation of movement.  
  
"Glad you're up. I was starting to get a little worried."  
  
I jolted at the voice behind me a tipped for a second before a black-gloved hand caught my arm, gently pulling me upright.  
  
"Careful, Tai and TK would never forgive me if I let you fall."  
  
I turned to see Takato's smiling face. He continued.  
  
"We're almost back to Azulongmon's valley. It won't be long now."  
  
"Where's Gatomon?"  
  
He smiled some more, and I almost couldn't believe that this was the same person who was staring down IceDevimon in the cave.  
  
"BlackGrowlmon's carrying her in his arms. The ice melted in the desert, but she hasn't woken up yet."  
  
I looked down at the inky black neck below me and realized we were riding on his digimon.  
  
_BlackGrowlmon's hair is surprisingly soft…_  
  
"What happened to IceDevimon?"  
  
"Deleted. Gone. Hopefully for good this time."  
  
"This time?"  
  
"He kidnapped a friend of mine before I came here. I thought I deleted him then…"  
  
Takato chucked then.  
  
"Maybe the partial deletion was what scrambled his marbles like that. He was certainly raving more than he used to."  
  
_So that was it. Revenge…_  
  
"Revenge isn't always a good thing Takato…"  
  
His face changed from lightly amused to a pale, haunted expression.  
  
"I know. Believe me, I know."  
  
"KARI!!!"  
  
I looked down and smiled, despite my fatigue and the fact that I felt horrible.  
  
"Tai! TK!"  
  
"Let us down BlackGrowlmon."  
  
He nodded and kneeled, making it a very short drop to the ground. I slid off and into TK's waiting arms. He kissed me, and Tai cleared his throat. TK blushed.  
  
"Sorry Tai."  
  
Takato hit the ground with a thud behind me, and TK stood me on my feet. BlackGrowlmon laid the still unconscious Gatomon on the ground, and I rushed to her side.  
  
"Wake up Gatomon, wake up…"  
  
I shook her gently, and she opened one eye a little lazily.  
  
"Can't I sleep some more?"  
  
I laughed and clutched her to me. I laid her back down and stood up as BlackGrowlmon dedigivolved to BlackGuilmon. I walked over to where Tk, Tai, and Takato stood talking and slid my arm around TK's waist.  
  
"…completely off his rocker- even more than he was before. You have any luck?"  
  
Tai's appearance took on a grim cast.  
  
"Not much, just that the fortress she's kept in flies."  
  
Takato grimaced as well.  
  
"That can't be good. It's a lot of effort to track something flying."  
  
I got a sinking feeling. I whispered to TK.  
  
"Who's 'she'?"  
  
TK's fists clenched and his eyes closed tightly.  
  
"Sora…"  
  
I gasped.  
  
_No wonder Takato came alone. Everyone one else was searching for Sora… At least they knew where I was…_  
  
I cast my eyes down.  
  
"Poor Sora…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lay on my bed, mind running a million miles a minute, panicking.  
  
_Why did I say yes? I have the room to let Mimi move in, but why was I bone headed enough to say yes? This is not the smartest thing I've ever done. In fact it's one of the stupidest. Mimi's my friend, but I keep thinking about it the wrong way!_  
  
I got up off of my bed and checked my mail. There was one there from Mimi.  
  
_ Hi Izzy!  
  
In the confusion today, I completely forgot to tell you. I'm coming in on Sunday; I'll mail the flight information later. I'm really looking forward to being in Japan again. I'll get to hang out with you guys much more often! I'm just glad I got a place to stay. I would have hated to have gone to a hotel for those first few nights until I find a place. Housing in Japan is really hard to find compared to here, especially when you have to do it from overseas. Say hi to the gang for me!  
  
Your friend,  
Mimi_  
  
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  
  
_Mimi's coming, but is that good or bad?_  
  
I sighed. That question was a moot issue, because it was happening now whether I liked it or not. I got up and went to the second bedroom of the apartment. It was a mess. I sighed again and decided to leave it for tomorrow. It was the beginning of the week after all. It would hold another day of two. I reheated some of the pasta Takato had made for the last tutoring session and sat down to think.  
  
_What exactly have I been feeling lately?_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We kept looking for the flying fortress over the next few days. I set Grani on it as soon as we got back the next day. But no matter how hard we tried we could never seem to find it.  
  
Tai took over Sora's position at the flower shop in addition to his other job and searching for Sora. No one laughed or teased him, we all knew why; but we did occasionally try to get him to slow down, he was pushing himself to hard. But in the end, Tai's will prevailed, and we went on with our daily lives when we weren't searching either. And so it was I found myself outside Koushiro Izumi's apartment that Wednesday.  
  
I rang the doorbell, dish in hand. I had made Izzy some baked pork chops, and I was eager to learn. Especially math. My algebra 2 class was kicking my butt, and my work left something to be desired. Izzy answered the door with his usual grin at the sight of food, and ushered me in.  
  
An hour or two later, pretty sure I had this 'quadratic' thing down, Izzy and I munched on the pork chops I had made and talked a little. Izzy looked a little nervous then asked a question.  
  
"Takato, can I ask you for a favor?"  
  
I blinked.  
  
_Izzy wants_ my _help?_  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Mimi is coming back to Japan, and she'll be staying here until she gets her own place. Can you help me clean out the spare room?"  
  
I grinned, wondering how Kazu and Kenta would react.  
  
_They would probably collapse and flop around like fresh caught fish._  
  
"Sure, I'd love to help. It would go a long way towards paying you back."  
  
"You do a lot of cooking that I don't have time for, Takato."  
  
"Yeah, but it doesn't seem like too much effort on my part. Besides, debts between friends are not truly debts."  
  
He looked at me as he opened the door to the spare room.  
  
"That's pretty profound for you Takato…"  
  
I grinned as I entered behind him.  
  
"I know. I read it some place. But that doesn't mean it's not true."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was much later, and I was laying back in my bed, thinking about what had happened earlier that week.  
  
_I failed…_  
  
I sighed.  
  
_Rika wouldn't have failed. She doesn't like people who fail…_  
  
In the darkness, I smiled a grim smile devoid of any humor. When we tracked down the idiots who kidnapped her, I would not fail again.  
  
ChaosGallantmon would _not_ fail.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door to my cell opened, but Mummymon was not outside. Datamon was, floating on that stupid flying control panel of his. He grinned at me. His usual leering grin.  
  
"I thought you might like to see my handy work…"  
  
I spit at him again.  
  
"No thanks you freak."  
  
He just kept grinning.  
  
"I knew you would…"  
  
He pressed a button on his floating console, and the floor of my cell opened. I fell through. I hit the ground with a hard thump, a small tinkle hitting the ground beside me. I grabbed at it, my hairclip, and put it in my hair so I wouldn't lose it again. I heard a couple of small splats and grimaced at the smell.  
  
_Yuck._  
  
I got to my feet and looked around, my face slowly converting to horror as I looked. The room was absolutely huge, and there were copies of me everywhere… 


	16. The Approaching Storm

Chapter 14 – The Approaching Storm  
  
_*I found it.*  
  
*Where?*  
  
*It moves constantly, so it's hard to track, but it also moves in a definite pattern. Now that I know that pattern, I can find it again at any time.*  
  
*Good. Tomorrow we go hunting.*  
  
*How are you going to explain how you know where she is to the Digidestined?*  
  
*I won't. I think it's time ChaosGallantmon stepped in again. Keep tabs on that flying fortress. Let me know if it does something out of its ordinary schedule.*  
  
*Understood.*_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stood in the airport again, trying to find Mimi's gate.  
  
_Well, that's not quite true…_  
  
I _knew_ where the gate was, but I couldn't get to it. Something had stopped the internal tram that led to the concourse.  
  
While I was on it.  
  
_I wish I could have brought Tentomon with me…_  
  
But that wasn't possible. Hiding a digimon on a plane was a bad idea. Even Palmon would be coming through the digital world a bit later, where she was keeping Biyomon company right now.  
  
Then, the tram started again, and it lurched forward towards the international arrivals.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
***Attention Passengers: Please make sure all seat backs and trays are in their upright and locked positions. Please put on your seat belts and prepare for landing.***  
  
I looked out the window. I could see Odaiba International Airport from my window. I got excited. I could picture it. Izzy would be standing there with that small nervous smile of his, hands in pockets. Sora…  
  
_Sora won't be there._  
  
I sighed. Nothing would be close to the same until we got Sora back.  
  
_Poor Sora…_  
  
I shook my head.  
  
_There's nothing I can do right now, so I might as well focus on something positive._  
  
There was a considerable thump as the plane touched down, and I waited for the plane to be taxied to a stop.  
  
_I hope Izzy has some news for me…_  
  
But chances are he wouldn't, and we would still be at a stand off. Then, the seat belt sign was turned off, and I grabbing my carry on, rushed to the front of the plane.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Customs was… a pain. That's the word.  
  
_Who knows what would have happened happened if Palmon had been with me…_  
  
But at least that nightmare was over with. Now I could get out and talk with Izzy. I wandered out and looked around. No Izzy. No where.  
  
_Where is he?_  
  
Then, there was a sudden commotion on the escalator. I turned to see Izzy trying to run through several people to get up. I smiled. Izzy was always compulsively punctual, and panicked if he was late.  
  
_Izzy certainly is cute when he's panicked. Those wild eyes are adorable._  
  
I grinned as Izzy skidded to a stop in front of me.  
  
"Slow down, Izzy, you'll give yourself a heart attack."  
  
He complied, and stopped for a moment to catch his breath before speaking again.  
  
"Sorry Mimi, the tram kept stopping for some reason. I was on time originally."  
  
I smiled and shook my head.  
  
"Izzy, Izzy, Izzy. You can't be on time for _everything_ you know. Sometimes you just have to deal with it."  
  
He smiled back, a little sheepish.  
  
"Sorry Mimi. It's just the way I am, but I'll work on it."  
  
I laughed as we boarded the tram.  
  
"You do that. I'll be testing you every now and then."  
  
Then I frowned.  
  
"But, seriously. What's happened out here since I checked last?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"You mean since Monday? Nothing. Except Tai's taken over the flower shop in addition to everything else."  
  
"That idiot! That's too much to handle. You can burn yourself out really fast if you take on too much at once. We'll have to talk him out of it."  
  
He looked at me like I was crazy.  
  
"Are we talking about the same Tai? We'll never convince him to drop it. Matt even tried hitting him and it didn't do anything."  
  
I frowned. As barbaric as it was, getting hit by Matt, or slapped by Sora, usually snapped Tai out of doing something stupid.  
  
"Well we'd better find Sora soon then, before he blows up from the pressure."  
  
Izzy ventured a friendly smile.  
  
"Yeah. You sure sound like you know what you're talking about Mimi…"  
  
"Why do you think I quit modeling?"  
  
"Oh…"  
  
There was an awkward silence then, which lasted about five seconds, before the lights cut off and the tram slammed to a halt, causing me to fall over on top of Izzy. I lay there blushing. I tried to get up, but someone else bumped into us in the dark and I fell back down again. Izzy's entire body might as well have been steel. He was too stiff and frightened to move. I sighed, and this time actually managed to make it to my feet…  
  
…when the tram started again, knocking me back on to him. Izzy's face could have been mistaken for a tomato, he was so red. Our faces were inches apart, and Izzy's eyes were more than a little wide. I smiled in an effort to break the tension, and clambered to my feet, and held my hand out to Izzy. He took it and righted himself, but sat down on a bench to wait for his flaming face to cool off. I smiled at him. He smiled nervously back, and we began to make small talk all the way back to his place.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Where is he?!"  
  
"I'm not sure Tai, the last time I saw him was last night. He said something about getting an early start today."  
  
I sighed. Tai was getting very irritable. He also seemed to think Takato would be very good help for this search. Why, I wasn't sure.  
  
"Okay, we'll look without him. I just hope he stays safe. All right, has anyone found anything about the whereabouts of that flying machine?"  
  
"Floramon mentioned that she saw something big go over head once…"  
  
I glanced at Veemon, who was holding his hat nervously in both hands.  
  
_I agree with him. Tai isn't exactly stable these days…_  
  
Wormmon looked up at me from my arms, a worried expression on his face as well. I grimaced. Tai glared at Veemon.  
  
"Once! Who knows where it could be now!"  
  
Tai paused and took a deep, calming breath, holding up a hand to stall Matt, who had raised a fist.  
  
"No. Sorry. You didn't deserve that Veemon, I'm just worried is all."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"We know Tai. We're not taking it too seriously, just calm down…"  
  
Tai nodded back.  
  
"Thanks Veemon. All right, I guess we have to keep searching. We keep going, ask any Digimon we find, and most importantly, stick together. We don't need anyone else going missing right now."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I blinked.  
  
_*Are you sure that this is the right one? I don't really see how it flies.*  
  
*It's wings really work, but yes, I'm sure. This is the only thing that flies right now in the digital world with sufficient mass.*  
  
*Great.*_  
  
"Takatomon, BlackGuilmon is hungry!"  
  
I sighed and looked back.  
  
"You can open the bag now boy. When you're finished, we're going in, so don't eat yourself sick."  
  
"Right Takatomon!"  
  
I looked out at the flying machine. It was big, it was stone, and it was a sphinx. It was landed right now; apparently it had to forage for supplies every so often. When it flew again, we would assault it in mid air. An attack would be expected on the ground, but the air was another story.  
  
_I'm betting they don't believe anyone will find them in the air…_  
  
BlackGuilmon tapped me on the shoulder. He was finished. I smiled and took the bag. I looked in. The bag still had a few pieces of bread in it. I looked at my digimon carefully.  
  
"Something wrong boy?"  
  
"Nope. You said BlackGuilmon shouldn't eat until he gets a tummy ache. So I didn't."  
  
I grinned at him.  
  
"That's great boy. You did a good job."  
  
Feeling a little hungry myself, I grabbed one of the remaining pieces and bit into it, chewing thoughtfully. I swallowed the rest quickly, as the wings on the thing started to come to life, beating slowly to prepare for take off. I looked at BlackGuilmon. He nodded and growled lightly, readying himself for combat.  
  
**Biomerge  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackGuilmon Biomerge to… ChaosGallantmon!**  
  
I grunted as the form took affect. It had been awhile since we had become ChaosGallantmon. It felt good.  
  
*Let's go Grani.*  
  
*Right.*  
  
We jetted off after the giant fortress, and circled it.  
  
_*You see any place to get in Grani?*  
  
*Hmmm. We should try on top.*  
  
*Why the top?*  
  
*It's where the GrandKuwagamon just came out.*_  
  
I looked up, and sure enough, there was a GrandKuwagamon.  
  
_*It's probably best to eliminate him out here, the catch up to the fortress. One less mega inside that thing would do wonders to even the odds. Let's go Grani.*  
  
*Right Takato.*_  
  
We rocketed off towards the GrandKuwagamon.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_AUGGGHH! Where can that stupid thing be?!_  
  
WarGreymon and I had been searching forever it seemed like. I glanced behind me. Every digimon who could fly was in the air behind us, the majority of the destined riding in Imperialdramon.  
  
"DIMENSION SCISSORS!"  
  
WarGreymon stopped and we looked to our left. There, in the distance, was a battle. A black and blue figure jumped and was caught by a blue and gold one, and they were fighting a GrandKuwagamon.  
  
"JUDDECA PRISON!"  
  
The GrandKuwagamon burst into data, and the two figures paused for a moment before turning and flying off. I waited a second, and then made a decision.  
  
"WarGreymon, follow those digimon!"  
  
"Right Tai!"  
  
We flew swiftly behind the fleeing pair. The knight-like figure glanced back at us once, so I knew we weren't getting away with anything.  
  
_It's either a trap or it's not. Either way, I bet he knows something._  
  
And know something he did. The clouds parted to reveal a giant sphinx coursing trough the air. I smiled grimly.  
  
"That must be the place."  
  
WarGreymon nodded.  
  
"Yeah. But whose side is he on?"  
  
"We'll find out when we get there."  
  
The knight opened what appeared to be a hatch on the top of the thing and jumped inside.  
  
"We won't fit through that Tai."  
  
I smirked.  
  
"Then we'll have to make our own door won't we?"  
  
WarGreymon grinned back. We flew through the air to the front of the thing.  
  
"Now WarGreymon!"  
  
"Right. TERRA FORCE!"  
  
The neon green ball of light sped towards the giant sphinx, and took out one of the crystalline eyes situated in its face. We zoomed in, and the other digidestined followed, disembarking from Imperialdramon.  
  
**Imperialdramon Mode Change to… Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode!**  
  
The other digimon ascended to their highest levels, and we ran forward, taking down the door to the next room. Which turned out to be a mistake.  
  
In the room were dozens of Digimon. All the ones we had seen exiting the tomb earlier that week, plus many others of their kind. The Mekanorimon and Golemon were up front, and the Bulbmon and Megadramon were in back. But that wasn't the really bad thing. The really bad thing was that behind the ultimate leveled digimon, there were dozens of Soras, digivices raised.  
  
_Oh crap._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We arrived at my apartment pretty tired. I unlocked the door and showed Mimi to the room that Takato and I had cleaned out earlier, and we then went over to my computer.  
  
"Are you sure about this?"  
  
"Of course I am Izzy! Sora's in trouble, and I'm not letting a plane ride stop me from trying to help her! We're going, and that's final!"  
  
"Yes Mimi."  
  
She smiled at me.  
  
"That's the spirit. Let's go!"  
  
We entered the Digital world, and Tentomon and Palmon were there to greet us.  
  
"What's going on Tentomon? Any news?"  
  
"Yes. Azulongmon reports that Tai and the others found the flying fortress by following that knight we saw last time. Azulongmon says that he can direct us to it now that he's found it."  
  
Mimi smiled next to me.  
  
"Great! With us on the way those idiots won't stand a chance! Let's go!" 


	17. Storm Front

Chapter 15 - Storm Front  
  
I moved quickly but quietly through the abandoned hallways towards a high leveled power that I sensed. The explosion earlier told me that Tai and the Digidestined had made their entrance, and the majority of the digimon were over there fighting them. But my instincts told me to avoid that fight.  
  
_To kill the snake you cut off the head._  
  
The highest power sources were in a room up ahead. Many were no more than ultimates. Several were mega leveled, but they didn't concern me as much as the numbers. Whoever this was wasn't as arrogant and stupid as I'd hoped. I paused outside the door to the chamber.  
  
_This is it._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Soras all raised their digivices, and the digimon glowed in response, and then the unbelievable happened…  
  
…nothing. Absolutely nothing.  
  
I grinned. The number would be a bit much, but they couldn't match our firepower. Tai spoke up then, and ordered WarGreymon on the offensive.  
  
"Let 'em have it WarGreymon!"  
  
"Right! TERRA FORCE!"  
  
The ball of light erupted into the room, and took out a good number of digimon. I grinned. The digimon behind me, the destined digimon, let out attacks of their own, and the battle was joined. I turned to MetalGarurumon, and smiled myself.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
"Right Matt!"  
  
I hopped on his back, and we charged in.  
  
"METAL WOLF CLAW!"  
  
The tearing force behind his blow took out about five of these little champions in one shot. I frowned as another 'Sora' went down in a firestorm from WarGreymon.  
  
_Where's the real Sora?_  
  
I had no more time to think as a Bulbmon started swinging its arms at me. Not MetalGarurumon, _me_. They were learning fast. If they couldn't use phony Digidestined to make themselves digivolve, then they would try to take _us_ out. I ducked under the Bulbmon's first assault, but the second connected with my back as MetalGarurumon struggled with several Megadramon. The Bulbmon above me grinned, and raised his arm, preparing a third blow to finish me.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Much to my discomfort, Mimi insisted on riding behind me on MegaKabuterimon, with her arms around my waist. While I knew Mimi didn't mean anything by it, and was not deliberately trying to drive me insane, I still couldn't help but be distracted as she pressed her form into my back.  
  
"We're almost there Izzy!"  
  
"Good work MegaKabuterimon!"  
  
A sphinx came into view through the clouds.  
  
_This must be the place._  
  
We flew in through the entrance that had been made, and I gasped. It wasn't a battle, it was a random melee. Our digimon had simply waded in, not bothering to consider strategy against opponents who out number you. Then there were copies of Sora everywhere. I sighed.  
  
_This is not going to be one of those easy battles, is it?_  
  
Then, Matt was knocked off MetalGarurumon's back.  
  
"MegaKabuterimon!"  
  
"I see him Izzy! HORN BUSTER!"  
  
MegaKabuterimon slammed into the side of the Bulbmon, throwing him back. He looked up at us and smiled.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"No problem!"  
  
"STATIC FORCE!"  
  
Further conversation was halted Silphymon's attack went through, deleting several Megadramon before knocking over an offending Bulbmon. I looked over to see Shakkoumon being harassed by Golemon.  
  
"JUSTICE BEAM!"  
  
His eye slits rained down terror onto his enemies.  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode took out a few Megadramon, and swooped low; ending the existence of a couple of Mekanorimon, blue scarf fluttering in the wind.  
  
"FLOWER CANNON!"  
  
Another Megadramon burst into dust courtesy of Lilymon, and she flew back to where Mimi was gathering the Digidestined. The Soras dodged to avoid blows from the rampaging digimon, but other than that, showed no thought to do anything to help either side.  
  
_Weird…_  
  
"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"  
  
Zudomon smashed the electrically charged hammer into the floor, causing the room to shake a little, and I began to speculate on the structural integrity of the complex, made infinitely more serious by our present height off of the ground. But, the floor held, and we were, despite our lack of formation, winning the fight by superior force.  
  
Soon enough, there were only a dozen digimon left, all Bulbmon, and they were all very tired looking. The Sora's were milling around, and then a dozen of them stepped forward, and raised their digivices, and the Bulbmon glowed, and digivolved.  
  
**Digivolution­_  
  
Bulbmon Digivolve to… Cannondramon!**  
  
_I knew this seemed too easy…_  
  
All of them. Now we were facing a dozen mega-leveled digimon, and they seemed to be perfectly capable of working together. They were cornered, after all. They all launched the same attack at once.  
  
"DINO CANNON!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I didn't bother knocking; I simply kicked the door in, leaving the Mummymon standing on the other side grinding under the heel of my black armored boot. He made a few mumbling noises as I walked over him, into the center of the room. Counting the one under the door, there were eight Mummymon in the room. Then there was a Datamon. Then a Zanbamon. And behind them, on a throne of gold, was another digimon.  
  
This digimon was about twice my size, and made mostly of pure gold. His head looked like the faceplate of a sarcophagus, and he was wearing a long white cape. The majority of his body was covered in golden bandages, and his arms and feet had gold and purple wristbands. He also wore a white loincloth supported by a red and gold belt. His face was locked in a superior, bored expression, and he looked a little disinterested at my entrance.  
  
_Cocky, isn't he?_  
  
The Datamon looked at me with interest however.  
  
"I've heard a lot about you. Our spies that watched the battle said you were quite powerful. How would like to join us, mister…?"  
  
"ChaosGallantmon. And no thanks. Not my style. Do you have any idea of the effort involved in ruling people? Not exactly my cup of tea. Besides. You have something I want."  
  
He looked at me.  
  
"Oh? We could give it to you in exchange for you services…"  
  
"That's not really an option. You have the girl. I want her."  
  
"The human?! That's a laugh! What would a dark virus digimon want with her?"  
  
I glanced idly at the surrounding Mummymon. They were shifting their weight, preparing to attack on their master's word. I looked back to Datamon.  
  
"That's for me to know."  
  
I paused for a moment, the cut Datamon off as he was about to speak.  
  
"This is pointless. There's also something else I want, and I _know_ you won't give _that_ to me willingly."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"Your data…"  
  
With that I leapt forward, shield and lance forming, unleashing my attack.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The attack glanced of Datamon, knocking him from his perch. He was driven to the ground. But before I could finish the job, I was detained.  
  
"SNAKE BANDAGE!"  
  
I was instantly wrapped in bandages from eight different directions, restraining me. The Zanbamon sped forward.  
  
"CROSS SLASH!"  
  
The attack knocked me back, but it also shredded the bandages. I jumped out of the way as more came sailing in.  
  
"SNAKE BANDAGE!"  
  
I jumped over Zanbamon's head, causing the bandages to hit him instead. I pointed my shield down.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
There wasn't much time to charge energy, so the attack did little damage, but it was enough to knock him off of his feet for a moment. A landed on top of his horse half's back, and jumped at the nearest Mummymon, driving my lance through him. I loaded the data. I would need it.  
  
"BEHEADING!"  
  
I turned back, and just barely ducked the sword headed for my neck. The horse head reached out and clamped down on my shoulder, cracking the shoulder plate. I smashed the Gorgon into its face, and did a back flip to avoid another sword swipe. I jumped off to the side as a Mummymon opened fire on me, and rolled forward.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
My attack struck, and took out another Mummymon. I loaded what data I could, but had to get out quickly to avoid another charge from Zanbamon. He hit the wall, and it collapsed on him, revealing a chamber with a glowing column.  
  
"SNAKE BANDAGE!"  
  
They attempted to hold me again, but I spun and attacked.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The bandages blew apart in the force of my blow, forcing the Mummymon to start firing again. I ran forward, using the Gorgon to ward off the bullets.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
Two more Mummymon went down, and I loaded their data. I took cover behind my shield, and thought.  
  
_Two more Mummymon, Zanbamon, Goldilocks up there, and Data… where the hell is he?_  
  
Datamon was nowhere to be found, and the big mummy hadn't moved yet, despite the battle. He was looking on with vague interest, and I realized something.  
  
_He doesn't care who wins. What's his deal?_  
  
But I knew. I had seen enough of his kind before, if digimon was an example for any other Saturday morning villains.  
  
_He believes he's strong enough to take me on if I win. Well, he's never encountered anyone like me…_  
  
I grinned behind my faceplate, and jumped forward towards the final two Mummymon.  
  
"CROSS SLASH!"  
  
I was intercepted by Zanbamon, and the swords cut deeply. I rolled to my knees and panted heavily.  
  
"SNAKE BANDAGE!"  
  
I was wrapped head to toe, and I couldn't move from my position.  
  
_No. It can't end like this. I cannot fail this time… I will **not** fail this time._  
  
With a primal scream, I ripped through the bandages holding me in place, and jumped into Zanbamon's human face.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
My rage empowered attack ripped through his head, deleting him instantly. I took in the data while the Mummymon watched in shock. I didn't waste any more time. I whipped the Gorgon around.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The attack engulfed the both of them, and I loaded that data as well. I turned to the figure on the throne. He lifted his hands and clapped slowly, mockingly.  
  
"Very impressive ChaosGallantmon. Very impressive indeed. I must admit you will be the largest challenge I've had in many years. But you are still mo match for me."  
  
He stood, and was taller than I had thought at first. He was about three times my height. I grinned behind my faceplate, adrenaline running through me at the thought of this fight.  
  
"I'm always up for a challenge…"  
  
He looked down at me.  
  
"You are powerful yes, but not as powerful as I. Not as powerful as Pharaohmon!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"BRAVE SHIELD!"  
  
WarGreymon took the blast himself, blocking it from the others. He dedigivolved instantly.  
  
"KOROMON!"  
  
I ran forward, and caught him out of the air.  
  
"You did good buddy."  
  
"Thanks Tai."  
  
Matt ran over to me as MetalGarurumon led another charge into the Cannondramon.  
  
"Tai, go get Sora."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Koromon can't fight Tai, and the sooner you find Sora, the sooner we can get out. I don't think we can take these guys down today, but we do need to get Sora out. Go."  
  
I looked at Matt carefully, searching his eyes.  
  
"Thanks Matt. I'll be back soon."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I know you will. Go on! Get out! We'll handle it here!"  
  
He turned and ran back to MetalGarurumon and Imperialdramon. I looked down at Koromon.  
  
"Come on, we're going."  
  
"Right Tai!"  
  
I turned and ran out a side door, to find Sora.  
  
_I'm coming Sora. Hold on._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door to room I was in hissed open, and Datamon charged in. He grabbed me with surprising strength and pulled me out the door.  
  
"We must go my dear, or that vicious knight will be right on top of us!"  
  
_What knight?_  
  
Datamon pulled me out of the room in one hand, my digivice in the other.  
  
_If I can get to it…_  
  
Datamon pulled me through hallways until an explosion destroyed the path in front of us.  
  
"Damn! Damn, Damn, Damn! I'll delete that knight for this!"  
  
He whipped us around, and ran off in a different direction, running up some stairs. We came out on a balcony, and I saw some Megadramon attacking a blue and gold blur. Several deleted each other for their efforts. Datamon punched some keys on a panel in the wall, and an Egyptian style boat, flying no less, came up beside us. He pushed me on board, then jumped on himself, and the boat rocketed off. 


	18. The Storm Abates

Chapter 16 - The Storm Abates  
  
"METAL WOLF CLAW!"  
  
I smiled as MetalGarurumon knocked the Cannondramon back into its fellows. Cannondramon were hard to knock down, but they took awhile to get back on their feet.  
  
_Which is the only reason we're still alive…_  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
Imperialdramon's attack deleted one of the hulking Cannondramon.  
  
_One down, eleven to go._  
  
"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"  
  
"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"  
  
"FLOWER CANNON!"  
  
The combined attacks of the three ultimate-leveled digimon managed to throw two of the Cannondramon back, but it wouldn't last long.  
  
"MetalGarurumon!"  
  
"I'm on it!"  
  
"ICE WOLF BITE!"  
  
One of the Cannondramon was taken down, but the other retaliated.  
  
"GRENADE STORM!"  
  
The successive explosions knocked MetalGarurumon back, sinking him to his knees.  
  
"MetalGarurumon!"  
  
I cried out again, this time in concern, running forward.  
  
"HORN BUSTER!"  
  
"FLOWER CANNON!"  
  
"HORN AND TUSK!"  
  
Cannondramon was driven out the way at the last second, and MetalGarurumon jumped to his feet, still breathing heavily.  
  
"You okay buddy?"  
  
"Fine Matt. Just give me a second."  
  
I nodded, and looked around. There were very few Sora clones left, most of them having been destroyed by errant Cannondramon attacks, and those that were left still milled randomly, getting deleted left and right. As far as remaining Cannondramon went, MegaKabuterimon, Lilymon, and Zudomon had just finished theirs off; three more were headed their way, and Shakkoumon and Silphymon had two more pinned down. Imperialdramon was keeping three more occupied.  
  
_That's eight. Three have been deleted, so where's the last one?_  
  
"DINO CANNON!"  
  
MetalGarurumon jumped up to shield me from the attack, but not all was well.  
  
"METAL WOLF CLAW!"  
  
The Cannondramon went down, but MetalGarurumon dedigivolved. Tsunomon looked up at me.  
  
"Sorry… Matt…"  
  
Then he passed out.  
  
"Tsunomon!"  
  
"GIGA CRUSHER!"  
  
Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode finished his Cannondramon off, and moved to help Silphymon and Shakkoumon with their last one.  
  
"DINO CANNON!"  
  
I spun to my right to see Mimi, Izzy, and Joe's digimon go down under the assault of all three Cannondramon.  
  
_Crap. What happens now?_  
  
"GRENADE STORM!"  
  
The attack sailed over my head, behind us. I turned to see Imperialdramon dedigivolve, and Silphymon and Shakkoumon groaning. I looked back to find the last three Cannondramon approaching slowly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So what's your attack do, Pharaohmon? Scare mon away? I can definitely see why. You're ugly enough."  
  
"Humph. Pathetic ChaosGallantmon, you call that an insult? Weak and stupid. Oh no. I fear for my life. NECRO MIST!"  
  
I was suddenly very glad I had loaded what data I had, because what was left suddenly formed into small mummies, four of them.  
  
_I don't know if the size or number of them increases when there's more data, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out…_  
  
I ignored the peons and jumped for Pharaohmon.  
  
"DEMON'S DIS-"  
  
I didn't get the chance, he simply smacked me into the floor, where the little mummies started holding me down. He smashed his oversized fist into my plate armor, and I heard a distinct crack.  
  
_That's not a good sign…_  
  
I struggled with the idiots holding me down, but couldn't seem to find the leverage to do so. His next hit landed on my face, and I could feel the helmet cut into my head. I noted that the mist seemed to thin out, and the grip holding me was getting weaker.  
  
Pharaohmon noticed too.  
  
As his attack faded completely, he grabbed me by the neck and lifted me from the ground. Anger swirled through my veins, and I gathered my strength.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
He dodged at the last second, letting me go and jumping out of the way. The bolt of energy sailed on, in to the glowing column, shattering it. I hit the ground with a resounding thump, and Pharaohmon screamed.  
  
"YOU IDIOT! You just destroyed the ship's power generator!"  
  
_Really? That's bad…_  
  
Pharaohmon was not amused. He grabbed my battered form by the leg, and threw me though the wall. Several walls actually. Luckily something was there to break my fall.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I turned at the sound of something breaking.  
  
_What the…?_  
  
A moment later the wall to my left exploded, and a black armored knight flew backwards, landing on the Cannondramon, knocking them down again.  
  
_That was convenient._  
  
There was crashing happening; apparently whatever had thrown the knight in here was coming for us. To my right, Cody called out to me.  
  
"TK! Get over here quick!"  
  
I turned back to see the one thing I never wanted to see happen. Cody was cradling Kari's head in his lap, moaning in pain.  
  
"Kari…"  
  
I was interrupted by the knight rising to his feet unsteadily. His chest plate was cracked and his helmet dented and torn, the cape in complete ruin. I made a hasty decision.  
  
"Shakkoumon! Give your power to Veemon and Wormmon! We need Imperialdramon!"  
  
"You too Silphymon!"  
  
I glanced to the side to see Yolie calling out the order.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Veemon Digivolve to… X-Veemon!  
  
Wormmon Digivolve to… Stingmon!  
  
DNA  
Digivolution_  
  
X-Veemon… Stingmon… DNA Digivolve to… Paildramon!  
  
Digivolution_  
  
Paildramon Digivolve to… Imperialdramon!  
  
Imperialdramon Mode -**  
  
"Halt."  
  
The knight stopped Imperialdramon before he could mode change. The crashing grew louder in the background, and he spoke further, and with more haste.  
  
"Leave this place. Now."  
  
"Why should we?!"  
  
His eyes narrowed.  
  
"Because I've accidentally destroyed the power generator to this place, and only one of you is in any condition to battle! Now go!"  
  
Imperialdramon gulped.  
  
"I can run or I can fight guys. But I can't do both, I don't have the energy."  
  
Next to me, Matt shook his head.  
  
"We fight! We can't leave Tai or Sora!"  
  
The knight closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and addressed us.  
  
"My winged companion tells a story of a Datamon exiting with a human on a ship, then another human following on the wings of a Garudamon."  
  
Matt was silent for a moment.  
  
"If you're lying…"  
  
"I am not."  
  
"You're not in any condition to fight either… oh, my…"  
  
Mimi was interrupted by the unusual sight before us. Rising slightly off the ground, head thrown back, the knight digimon absorbed the spare data floating around that hadn't dissipated yet, like BlackWarGrowlmon absorbing control spires. The cracks in his armor sealed, the dents in his helm smoothed out, and his cape reformed. In moments he was like new. He reached up, and clapped down his blue visor.  
  
_There's something about that visor…_  
  
"Go. Go now!"  
  
There was a roar, and the remainder of the wall was punched out by a purple and gold glove, followed by the rest of the digimon, which was a large mummy.  
  
_Pharaohmon._  
  
Kari's unconscious moans captured my attention once more and I moved to help Cody get her to Imperialdramon. Just before we left, Davis called out.  
  
"Good luck!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I barely acknowledged Davis's statement as I watched Pharaohmon plow through the wall.  
  
_The direct approach isn't going to work with this one._  
  
I frowned. Unless I improvised something soon, the direct approach was all I had. A slight noise made me risk a glance behind me. A Cannondramon was lifting itself off the ground.  
  
_Great. That's just what I need right now. Better take care of them first._  
  
I knew turning my back on Pharaohmon was stupid, but if those Cannondramon joined in I would quickly be overwhelmed. I rushed the first one, still trying to regain its feet, and flipped myself over it's head and on to it's back, running down between the cannons towards the other two, at the last second, I jumped off the Cannondramon's back, high into the air.  
  
"DINO CANNON!"  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
As I jumped, the attack from the third Cannondramon off to the side hit where I had been standing only a moment before, smashing the Cannondramon into the ground. My attack was aimed at the Cannondramon I was running towards, deleting it. I spun quickly to take advantage of the downed Cannon behind me.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
My attack tore a hole right through its torso, reducing it to dust.  
  
"NECRO MIST!"  
  
_Crap._  
  
It seemed that the more data there was, the more the little guys increased in number. Right now there were a lot of them, I couldn't get an exact count. I just concentrated on keeping out of their grip.  
  
"GRENADE STORM!"  
  
I tucked and rolled, and the majority of the blasts passed over head, striking the little things. I groaned when the mist instantly began to reform them.  
  
_Not cool…_  
  
I doubled back on the creepy guys, and tried to jump over them. I stress the tried, because at that moment a giant fist impacted onto my side, sending me flying towards the Cannondramon. I spread my arms as I sailed, attempting to make as un-aerodynamic a shape as possible, in an effort to slow myself down.  
  
"DINO CANNON!"  
  
I swung myself around, catching the beam on the Gorgon, and was slowed, then propelled backwards, back towards Pharaohmon. Raising my lance, I charged energy for attack.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
He instinctively blocked the attack, covering himself with his arms. My attack hit head on, and actually did some damage. Getting closer, I cut my attack and rebounded off his chest, shooting off to one side, letting the Cannondramon's attack impact as well.  
  
He groaned in pain at his burnt arms. He growled and pointed at the Cannondramon, and his little minions destroyed it, leaving me alone as I hit the floor. Then the mist faded before he could order them back to business, and it was just Pharaohmon and I. He sneered at me.  
  
"Not bad. You're the toughest opponent I've had in awhile. Time to end this!"  
  
He rushed at me, and I dodged, barely, but I hadn't counted on his agility, as he hit me in the back, sending me to the floor, almost out of the hole in the wall to a drop that was certain death. Pharaohmon grinned as he approached. He lifted his foot and slammed it down against me. I felt my armor buckle again, and the floor under me cracked under the force.  
  
"This is the end of the line ChaosGallantmon! Prepare for your demise!"  
  
He began another fierce stomp, but then the floor tipped, sending him sprawling backwards. I slammed my lance into one of the cracks in the floor, keeping myself there as the floor went vertical and became a wall. It seemed that whatever power reserves Pharaohmon's ship had had just run dry. The ship started falling in a dive, and Pharaohmon fell back to the wall, hitting with a grunt. He recovered quickly, and began climbing the wall towards me.  
  
_Vindictive, isn't he?_  
  
I gathered my damaged body against the wall and sprang outward a few feet, and pointed my shield down towards Pharahmon.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
My attack hit Pharaohmon's head, and the resistance shot me backwards and up, out of the hole the Digidestined had plowed through. I tumbled through the air for a few moments, smiling under the facemask. Pharaohmon wouldn't be back anytime soon. I started to fall as well, and I let the gravity control me as I fell.  
  
Then a hard metal surface slammed into me from below.  
  
Grani.  
  
_*Greetings Tamer.*  
  
*Takato, Grani, Takato.*  
  
*Of course. Should we land?*  
  
*As much as I'd like to, we should follow Tai and Garudamon. She hasn't eaten in days, there's no telling how much power she has left. It's a wonder she's been up at the ultimate level this long.*  
  
*Agreed.*_  
  
Grani took off in what I hoped was the appropriate direction, and I kneeled to catch my breath. Behind us, the ship crashed in a symphony of light and sound, being heard and seen for miles around.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Datamon leered crazily at me, still gripping my arm in one hand and my digivice in the other. Then an explosion ripped through the area, and Datamon was distracted by the sudden noise.  
  
_Now or never…_  
  
I moved suddenly, hoping to catch him off guard and made a grab at my digivice. I got it from him before he could react, and he used the arm to hit me, sending me to the other end of the ship.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that my dear, you shouldn't have done that."  
  
I spat at him.  
  
"The Digidestined will come for me!"  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"Perhaps, but I think that perhaps you should worry more about what ChaosGallantmon wants with you."  
  
_ChaosGallantmon?_  
  
"WING BLADE!"  
  
Before he could elaborate, his end of the ship exploded as Garudamon's attack sliced through, deleting him instantly. I looked up to see Garudamon with Tai on her back.  
  
Then she started shrinking, and Tai, Koromon, and Yokomon feel to the deck. Yokomon spoke first.  
  
"Sorry Sora…"  
  
"She hasn't eaten since you were taken. I'm surprised we made it this far…"  
  
"Yokomon…"  
  
I picked her up and held her to me. Tai smiled at me, then looked around.  
  
"So how do we get this thing to land?"  
  
_Uh oh._  
  
"Ummm. The controls were taken out when Garudamon destroyed Datamon."  
  
Tai sighed.  
  
"Sorry Sora. Looks like we found you in time to die."  
  
I smiled sadly.  
  
"It's not your fault Tai. You did your best."  
  
His smile was a twin to mine.  
  
"Yeah. It just wasn't enough."  
  
"I thought you people never gave up."  
  
I looked skyward again. Descending was a large blue and gold dragon, a black knight on top. The dragon leveled out with our aimless ship and the knight looked at us expectantly.  
  
"Well, are you coming or not?"  
  
Tai seemed a little nervous.  
  
"How do we know we can trust you?"  
  
He pointed in front of us.  
  
"I don't think you have a choice…"  
  
I looked back. We were headed straight towards a mountain. Tai's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, before, without a word, he turned and grabbed Koromon and me, jumping onto the dragon. It pealed off instantly, as the ship continued its course towards the mountain. I spoke a little hesitantly.  
  
"Datamon said a knight, ChaosGallantmon, wanted me for something, are…"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Yes, I am he."  
  
Tai's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he stepped protectively in front of me.  
  
"And what do you want her for?"  
  
He looked up, and he sighed again.  
  
"It no longer matters. The issue is… moot… now. I no longer have an interest in the situation. I will return you safely to the ground, then depart."  
  
I stepped out from behind Tai.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
He just grunted in response, and the dragon began to spiral to the ground. We got off, and to my surprise, he dismounted as well. He kneeled next to his mount.  
  
"Go home, my friend. You've earned a long rest."  
  
The dragon flew up, and then heat waves appeared around it, and it faded from view. He inspected his armor and sighed.  
  
"It will take days to recover from this."  
  
I looked up at the damaged knight, and tried to smile. The black armor, and the fact that he had wanted me for something, memories of Datamon still in my mind, made me a little hesitant.  
  
"Will we see you again?"  
  
He chuckled then, a strange sound from him.  
  
"Knowing my luck, yes."  
  
Then, his shield formed, and the central symbol flashed green, and he exploded into a green mist.  
  
_Creepy…_  
  
Tai smiled and held out his hand.  
  
"Come on. Let's get you home." 


	19. Longing

Chapter 17 - Longing  
  
"I'm not too sure about this…"  
  
"You look fine. Black is definitely your color."  
  
I looked in the mirror again. I was in a light black-sleeved sweatshirt and some jeans. It had a hood. I had insisted on that. I glanced at Tai. The look on his face was a mixture of 'I told you so' and 'you're on your own'.  
  
_Great. I didn't think shopping with Sora would be this bad…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~Two Days Previous~  
  
"ULTIMATE SLICER!"  
  
_This is bad…  
  
*BlackJyarimon…*  
  
*I'll try Takatomon…*_  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
BlackJyarimon Flash Digivolve to… BlackGrowlmon!  
  
DIGI-MODIFY! Aero Wing Activate! Power Activate!**  
  
"EXHAUST FLAME!"  
  
The overpowered attack from BlackGrowlmon incinerated the Megadramon, but it was still a little easy.  
  
_Probably a survivor from the blast…_  
  
BlackGrowlmon collapsed and reverted to BlackJyarimon again.  
  
"Sorry boy. I know it's tough…"  
  
"You're tired too, Takatomon…"  
  
I smiled grimly.  
  
"Yeah. Me too."  
  
I glanced down at myself. My blue shirt was pretty much a rag.  
  
"Takato?!"  
  
I looked up.  
  
_Tai? Sora? Thought they'd be home by now…_  
  
"Hey! If you've got Sora, shouldn't you be getting her home?"  
  
Tai grimaced.  
  
"I would have, but she insisted on staying until we found you."  
  
Sora backhanded Tai in the chest, and ran down the sand dune to me.  
  
"We saw that digimon explode into data? Are you all right? You're a mess, look at you! What…"  
  
"Uhh…"  
  
I looked up at Tai. He grinned. I tuned Sora back in.  
  
"…it! You're getting a new shirt mister!"  
  
"Um, sure…"  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Shouldn't you, um, rest… a little… you know…?"  
  
I gulped. There was a dangerous look in her eye.  
  
"Shopping will help me relax. Now, I'm sure that I'll spend all tomorrow answering all kinds of questions, so the day after you're coming with me to get a new shirt, and probably some new pants, got it?"  
  
I straightened and fought an urge to salute.  
  
"Yes ma'am!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sora squealed behind me, and visions of the Digimon 02 epilogue of Sora being a fashion designer swirled through my head.  
  
"You'll attract plenty of girls now Takato!"  
  
This time the visions were of Rika's fist flying towards my face. I must have shuddered or paled noticeably or something. I noticed Tai give me a look as Sora began to talk.  
  
"What's wrong Takato?"  
  
"Uh, oh, um, it…it's nothing, really. I'm… going to go get changed."  
  
I left for the fitting room in a hurry, to change back into my white T-shirt and shorts.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I smiled. Takato seemed to have interpreted my message perfectly. Hopefully he wouldn't be back before I could make a move.  
  
_I just hope it works…_  
  
"Hey, uh, Sora?"  
  
She smiled at me, and I probably looked like a fool given how nervous I was.  
  
"Yes, Tai?"  
  
"Are, um, you, uh…"  
  
"Spit it out Tai…"  
  
_Here goes…_  
  
"Are you doing anything this weekend?"  
  
She smiled again, and clasped her arms behind her back.  
  
"I don't think so…"  
  
I swallowed a little, moistening my suddenly dry mouth.  
  
"Well, um, would you like to go to Matt's concert? With me?"  
  
The last bit was added in a rush, and a slight blush rose on Sora's cheeks.  
  
"Are you asking me on a date Tai?"  
  
"Um, Yes?"  
  
My voice cracked like a kid just entering puberty, and it came out like a squeak. Sora giggled a bit, hand at her mouth. Then she looked up at me.  
  
"I'd love to go with you."  
  
I grinned and it felt like the top of my head would fall off, the grin was so wide. It must have been something else as Sora began laughing at that too. It was all right though.  
  
I didn't have to wait any longer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~That Weekend~  
  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Four of us screamed in unison and one laughed in triumph as the van tore down the highway at insane speeds, Ben hunched protectively over his drum set. We were late, were being the operative word. The small part of my mind that wasn't frozen in terror was pretty sure we were going to be right on time with minutes to spare at the rate we were careening in and out of traffic.  
  
_That's assuming Jun's driving doesn't get us killed first…_   
We continued screaming as my hands pressed into the dashboard so hard I was sure it would leave permanent marks. We came within inches of the cars we were dodging in and out of as Jun swerved the van onto the exit ramp.  
  
_Thank god…_  
  
Unfortunately, Jun's speed and driving skills didn't improve off the highway. There was a screeching sound as we went around a corner, and I'm pretty sure that we were on two wheels for most of that bend. Then, a sign for the 'Odaiba Amphitheater' came into view, and Jeff sobbed in relief. I glanced at my wrist, wondering absently if I would be able to play tonight, to look at my watch.  
  
_6:13. On time, but only just…_  
  
I glanced back up.  
  
"JUN! NO!"  
  
The van screeched to a halt by the stage. Scratch that. Screeched to a halt _on_ the stage. At least the curtain was closed. I pried my hands off the dashboard and looked in the back.  
  
"Everyone okay back there?"  
  
Ben let out a muffled groan from underneath his drum set, Jeff was cooing at his guitar and carefully examining it to make certain it was not broken. Roger glared a hole in the driver's seat, before shifting it to me. I mouthed some words to him.  
  
'Don't say anything!'  
  
He mouthed something back.  
  
'Bite me, Ishida.'  
  
Or something like that. He was angry enough to have said that. I cleared my throat.  
  
"Well, at least we won't have to move the stuff very far. Let's get to it."  
  
The guys piled out of the back and I turned to my girlfriend in the driver's seat. She smiled at me.  
  
"Thanks for letting me drive Matt! I told you I'd get us here on time!"  
  
I smiled back. A little shakily, I'll admit.  
  
"Sure Jun. Could you park the van when we're done unloading? If I don't get out there and help the guys will kill me."  
  
"Sure thing!"  
  
I gave her a peck on the lips and climbed out of the van, hurrying around to the back in time to give Ben a hand with the last few pieces to his set.  
  
"All clear Jun!"  
  
"Bye sweety!"  
  
I closed the door, then shuddered. I turned back to the band to help them set up, and promptly covered my ears as the tires screeched and the van flew backwards.  
  
There was the sound of car alarms going off as Jun hit my car, left here only to help the guys move the rest of the stuff over. I put my head in my hands and cried. The car wasn't the fanciest thing in the world, a beater in fact, but it had gotten me through some tough times, and it was painful to see it take a hit like that. Roger was smirking at me with a huge grin on his face. Jeff patted my shoulder.  
  
"Could have been worse, Matt."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"I know, I know."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to come Takato?"  
  
I smiled a little sadly, thinking about the happy couples.  
  
"I'm sure Ken. I wouldn't be much fun tonight. You and the others have a good time."  
  
He looked at me a little strangely.  
  
"All right, see you…"  
  
"Yeah, later. I think I'll take a walk or something."  
  
I turned and walked out, falling in beside Ken until we reached the street and went our separate ways.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The doorbell rang. I ran to answer it. There on the other side was Tai, smiling.  
  
"Ready to go Sora?"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Yeah. Let's go."  
  
Tai led me down to his car, and we drove off to the concert. We made small talk as we drove; none of the usual getting to know each other was necessary. Twenty minutes later we pulled into the parking lot and got out. I saw our friends near the middle, but Tai steered me away from them, more towards the back.  
  
"Tai? They're over there…"  
  
He looked at me, a funny look in his eyes, and he smiled.  
  
"Not now. We can hang out with them backstage later. But for now, can it just be you and me? Please?"  
  
I blushed a little.  
  
"Sure…"  
  
We sat in the back, and Tai put his arm around my shoulders, and I rested my head on his.  
  
_Comfortable. Almost like we were made for each other…_  
  
The concert started then, and we stayed like that, unwilling to break the mood, as everyone else stood and cheered wildly. I felt Tai's lips on top of my hair then, and I tilted my face up to look at him. His eyes were watering a little.  
  
"Tai?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just…"  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"I… waited, you know? A long time. And now that you're here with me… I… I don't know how to react…"  
  
I smiled.  
  
_So that's his problem._  
  
"Tai…"  
  
He sniffed.  
  
"Yes Sora?"  
  
I grinned.  
  
"You're supposed to react like this…"  
  
I raised my head some more and kissed him, twisting my body in its seat to face him. His arms fell across my waist, and pulled me into his lap. I pulled back a second.  
  
"You're getting the hang of it."  
  
Then I dove back n for another kiss.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I entered the park and lay on the grass in the dark, BlackJyarimon snoozing in my hood. I sighed.  
  
_Rika…_  
  
I did something then I hadn't done in a long time. I thought about the dream. The one I had had before I even met her. Renamon was fighting a Lynxmon, but that didn't matter. It hadn't mattered then either. All I could do was stare at Rika.  
  
She was beautiful, even then, even with her cold eyes and emotionless face. Pulling out my picture of us, with Rika's blushing face, I smiled.  
  
_She's cute when she's embarrassed._  
  
Of course, as the ice around her heart had melted, I had begun to believe that wasn't a time she _wasn't_ cute.  
  
_So why was I afraid to say something?_  
  
I wasn't afraid of her beating me up. Not _too_ afraid, anyway. No. That wasn't it. I was afraid of being rejected.  
  
_Now I won't have another chance…_  
  
And so I lay there under the stars, thinking about what might have been.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I took a drink of water during the intermission. There was a screen that the cameras were using to show couple in various stages of make out sessions.  
  
_Higher ratings probably…_  
  
Then I spat the water out in a mist as the next couple shown was…  
  
TK and Kari?!  
  
I glanced to where they were in the stands. Their arms were wrapped around each other, and my little brother's hand was actually on Kari's butt, pulling her closer.  
  
_Tai's going to have a fit when he sees that…_  
  
As I wondered absently how long TK had left to live, the issue became moot, as it appeared that Tai couldn't possibly be paying any attention to the screen with Sora on his lap and in his face. I glanced off to the side, where Jun waited, an uncharacteristically worried look on her face. I caught her eye and she flinched. I gave her my best smile and winked. Her eyes widened, then her customary grin returned.  
  
_It's only a car, after all…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
And time passed.  
  
The concert went smoothly, to everything I had heard. The damage to Matt's car wasn't all that bad, just a ding to the body, and he paid for the repairs himself. Matt called it an accident and let it go. He privately confessed later that he needs Jun too much to let her go because of it anyways. She keeps his feet on the ground.  
  
To TK's profound relief, Kari's profound embarrassment, and profound amusement to the rest of us, his little stunt with Kari on live television never came to Tai's attention. The two continue to be more attracted to each other, and I often find myself torn between wanting to leave and being afraid of what will happen if I leave the two of them alone.  
  
Tai and Sora are going strong. There's a perpetual grin on Tai's face these days, and a great deal of his anger flies out the window if Sora enters the room. He doesn't even have to see her, I swear. Tai is looking for an apartment in the city, and is giving Sora subtle hints to move in with him, but she's resisting that step. Time will tell I guess…  
  
Ken and Yolie… well, they're Ken and Yolie. Ken still seems perpetually amused by his girlfriend's constant mood swings, enduring them in good humor, and taking advantage of her romantic moments. What can I say? We're growing up.  
  
Davis.  
  
Davis honestly hasn't changed too much.  
  
Moving on.  
  
Joe is absent, as usual, doing whatever it is that doctors in training do in their spare time.  
  
Studying probably.  
  
Cody, well, Cody seems to be the only one who doesn't believe that I was fighting off other hostile digimon throughout the whole Pharaohmon thing. Tai was a little suspicious as well, but Sora kind of drowned out that feeling. Still, Cody's distance from me bothers me. I still have a feeling that that needs to be worked out soon. Before something bad happens.  
  
Mimi and Izzy.  
  
Mimi and Izzy.  
  
Hmm. Mimi and Izzy. What can I say?  
  
Well, they're in the same apartment, and I think Izzy is ready to crack under the pressure. I do my best when I go over there to relieve it, but I'm not sure that it's working too well. On the plus side, Mimi's been teaching me how to use more of the kitchen than just the oven.  
  
And time passed, and I began my third year in high school, my third year in the eastern quadrant. 


	20. The Past Returns

Chapter 18 - The Past Returns  
  
I smiled. Today was actually going well, despite a small… altercation… with Dominic earlier. Now we were walking home, just us guys, plus Cody, now that he was in high school with us. He glanced in my direction, his eyes questioning.  
  
_Still doesn't like me. Wonder why?_  
  
TK groaned suddenly.  
  
"Hey do you guys mind if we make a pit stop for a second? I need to get some flowers for my date with Kari tonight."  
  
Davis grinned evilly.  
  
"Just make sure you're not around her if Tai's in the area…"  
  
TK grimaced.  
  
"You're never going to let me live that down are you?"  
  
"You're just lucky Tai's never seen any tapes of the concert."  
  
"Don't remind me."  
  
There was the dinging of a bell as we stepped inside the flower shop Sora ran with her mother. She looked up from the counter.  
  
"Hello! How can I… oh, hi guys!"  
  
"Hi Sora!"  
  
This came from all five of us at once. She blinked, momentarily stunned, then started laughing. We looked at each other and then we shared in the laughter too. When we calmed down, we got down to business.  
  
"So, what can I do for you guys? Who has the hot date tonight?"  
  
TK blushed a little and raised his hand. Davis smacked him in the back of the head.  
  
"We're not in class anymore TK."  
  
TK gave Davis a decent scowl. Nothing compared to what I was used to with Rika, but pretty good none the less. He turned back to Sora.  
  
"I need to get some flowers for my date tonight with Kari."  
  
Sora grinned.  
  
"Aww. And here I thought it would be Takato here…"  
  
Now it was my turn to blush. Surprisingly, it was Ken who turned on me first.  
  
"Maybe pretty soon, Sora… Mandy was giving him a weird look in class today."  
  
Davis started grinning next.  
  
"Really? Mandy Jenkins? You go Takato! She's hot!"  
  
I decided to have a sudden coughing fit then. I tapped my fist against a rectangular object hanging from my chest under my shirt, hoping the guys would get the hint. TK did.  
  
"Oh. Right."  
  
Davis sighed.  
  
"It's been three years Takato. Isn't it time to move on?"  
  
"You know that, and I know that, but my heart refuses to let go. What's the point of a date if I feel horrible during it?"  
  
Sora looked at me funny, before little hearts appeared in her eyes.  
  
"Who is it Takato? I want the details!"  
  
"Uhhh…"  
  
_I would anything to get out of here…  
  
*Takato, I need to see you. Now.*  
  
*On my way!*_  
  
I grinned.  
  
"Sorry, it'll have to wait for another time. Azulongmon calls! I'll be back!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As I walked home, I pondered the events from earlier today. Something about Takato still didn't sit right with me. I didn't know what it was, and that bugged me too, almost worse than the nagging suspicion about Takato itself.  
  
_At least if I knew what bugged me I could deal with it, but…_  
  
I sighed in frustration. Upamon looked up at me.  
  
"What's wrong Cody?"  
  
"I don't know, Upamon, and that's another piece of the problem."  
  
"It's Takato, isn't it?"  
  
I looked down. It was easy to forget that Upamon was actually fairly intelligent with his ordinary hyperactivity.  
  
"Yes, and it's not just what happened today, but that's part of it."  
  
"Yeah, that _was_ a little strange wasn't it? I wonder what's up."  
  
"I'm not sure, but I'll bet the rest of us get dragged into it somehow…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~Hours Earlier~  
  
I ran down the street angrily. Someone of something had just made off with my ice cream cone.  
  
_That someone will pay. And pay dearly._  
  
It wasn't the ice cream cone itself that bothered me, it was that someone would steal from me of all people.  
  
_From me!!_  
  
Then I stopped in my tracks. On the high brick wall of the park's wall was the thing that had stolen my ice cream cone. It popped the last bit into its mouth and licked its fingers. It looked at me evenly from the top of the wall and grinned.  
  
"Thanks for the treat, toots! See ya!"  
  
It took off into the branches, and I let out an inarticulate growl before I followed him on the ground. At least I assumed it was a he from the voice. Suddenly, it jumped to the ground in front of me, and I skidded to a halt. It's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I don't like being followed, toots, so get off my tail!"  
  
I smirked.  
  
"No."  
  
He grinned back.  
  
"Alright, I warned you. B-"  
  
A dark vortex opened up behind him, and a clawed hand reached through and grabbed him, pulling him back through. I stumbled backwards, landing unceremoniously on my butt, shaken thoroughly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I sighed.  
  
_That probably wasn't the best way to leave them, just bolting like that. But Azulongmon's call did seem urgent…_  
  
"Ah, excellent timing Matsuki."  
  
Further musing was interrupted by Azulongmon's call. I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
He frowned and the clouds around him darkened, shooting little lightning bolts to each other in his displeasure.  
  
"It seems someone's been fooling with the dark gates."  
  
I looked at him. I began to panic a little.  
  
"Wasn't me!"  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"I didn't think it was. No. I suspect someone else."  
  
"Daemon?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"But I _did_ delete him."  
  
"Yes, but you didn't load his data. It is very possible he has reconstructed himself."  
  
I nodded slowly.  
  
"In any event, one of the exit points was in this quadrant, to the south, on the edge of Server's desert. Be careful, I don't believe that Daemon would dump something here unless it was extremely dangerous, but I want you to check it out."  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Right. On our way."  
  
_*Grani…*_   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mimi!"  
  
_No. It can't be…_  
  
I turned my head at the all too familiar voice. A familiar blond-headed, blue-eyed, snake-tongued boy popped up out of the crowd. My eyes widened.  
  
_It is. Michael._  
  
He ran through the crowd, over to me. I kept my face impassive as he approached. He was smiling brightly.  
  
_Bastard._  
  
"Mimi, I've missed you…"  
  
Suddenly he was looking up at me from a position at ground level. My hand had moved of its own will, slapping him hard enough to send him sprawling. I hissed at him.  
  
"You have no right to have missed me!"  
  
He looked up at me in confusion.  
  
"But, Mimi, my love, we were meant for each other!"  
  
I glowered at him, but his face started beaming again.  
  
"Where have you been? I had to hire a private eye to track you down when you left! And I find you're here. Living with another man of all things. Well, I'll not let him mistreat you! I won't let that man use you…"  
  
_Izzy? Mistreat me? Use me? Hah! Izzy would never do that. He'd be a much better boyfriend than you've ever been, you jerk!_  
  
Michael kept rambling on.  
  
"Well, you go pack, and I'll go get us some plane tickets out of here. Tell that loser you're leaving, and come home with me. You really need to get back to work! The agency you work for has been ringing the phone non-stop looking for you!"  
  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said I'm not going anywhere! I like it here! This is where my friends are, and I'm not leaving!"  
  
The confusion drained from his face, and he smiled again.  
  
_Can't he take a hint?!_  
  
"Oh, so you want to be based here, do you? Well, I'm sure that your agency will quickly agree. They can't lose their favorite model after all, can they?"  
  
"I'm not a model anymore Michael! You can't seem to get that through your thick head though!"  
  
He climbed to his feet.  
  
"Of course you're a model, Mimi! Your 'retirement' was only a strategic play to increase your worth! As your boyfriend, I assured the agency of it. They understand how that works! But we had better call them…"  
  
"You idiot!! I. Am. Not. A. Model! Can't you get that through your head! I'm not your girlfriend either! Get out of my sight!"  
  
I gave him another earth-shaking slap and stormed off.  
  
_Jerk. I can't believe he thought Izzy would do something like that. Izzy has way too much respect for me to even think that! I can't believe Michael is that insensitive!_  
  
I snorted.  
  
_Of course I can believe it. After everything else he's done, why should he come to his senses about this…?_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door slammed.  
  
Hard.  
  
Then Mimi entered the room, and with one look at her face I dove behind a couch. She poked her head around it and I curled into a ball.  
  
"I didn't do it!"  
  
Her face softened into confusion.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Whatever it is that you're so angry about!"  
  
She smiled a little, I could tell it was forced, but she made an effort.  
  
"Of course it's not you Izzy. You wouldn't be capable of doing anything close to what happened to me. It's… well…"  
  
Feeling a little more secure, I uncurled myself and looked at her.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She hesitated, and I smiled shyly at her.  
  
"You can tell me Mimi, we've been friends for what seems like forever now."  
  
She hesitated again, then shook her head.  
  
"I'd… rather not talk about it. Sorry, Izzy, but it's a little too soon."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'll be here if you feel like talking Mimi. Remember that."  
  
She smiled a little sadly.  
  
"I'll remember."  
  
I got to my feet and started for my room.  
  
"And Izzy…?"  
  
I turned back.  
  
"Thanks…"  
  
I smiled at her, and my heart started beating a little faster.  
  
"No problem."  
  
I walked into my room and lay down on my bed.  
  
_What's wrong with me?_  
  
Whenever I looked at Mimi, something happened. As far as I knew it was just a physical attraction, Mimi was a _very_ beautiful woman, a former model, but lately just the sound of her voice had me ready to turn to jelly and melt into the floor, excepting certain parts of my anatomy…  
  
_Am I some kind of sicko? What is it about her that causes this reaction?_  
  
I sighed, and got up, turning on my computer. I'm not sure what I was trying to do, but it didn't happen. I kept staring off into space.  
  
I wish I could say I was thinking about why Mimi was so angry. I really do.  
  
Mostly I was thinking of Mimi, and how beautiful she had looked even when her face stormed like a thundercloud.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Stupid SkullSatamon… say I'm trash will he?! I'll show him!_  
  
I sighed and stood up, dusting myself off. I sighed.  
  
_Where in the name of the digital sovereigns am I?_  
  
I started walking off, but my thoughts inevitably turned once more to the strange experience I had just had.  
  
_If only I had been able to digivolve. Then I would have kicked his ass. But I hadn't been there long enough to do it. SkullSatamon called me trash and threw me out before I could do anything!_  
  
I stiffened as I sensed a digimon approaching. Fast. The sensation was… familiar. I concentrated on it, trying to figure out where I had sensed this digimon before. The feeling of it gave me shivers in the base of my spine.  
  
I didn't like the feeling.  
  
I concentrated anyways. Then it hit me.  
  
"No…"  
  
_It can't be. He's dead. They told me he was dead. And they wouldn't lie about that…_  
  
But it was true. A large blue winged dragon with a black knight standing atop of it. I looked up at it. The hazard sign and the visor gave it away immediately.  
  
"Pineapple head?"  
  
Its red eyes narrowed.  
  
"Impmon?" 


	21. Luck, All of it Bad

Chapter 19 - Luck, All of it Bad  
  
Today was going well.  
  
That should have been my first clue.  
  
A few weeks after I had moved in to Izzy's apartment, I got a job as a waitress in a small outdoor café. My coworkers were friendly, the atmosphere comforting, and the tips large. Not that it mattered, this job was for something to do, not because I needed money.  
  
Which turned out to be a good thing.  
  
My back was to the door, and I heard the door chime. I felt a chill rub down my spine, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I turned around.  
  
"Hello, welcome to… Michael."  
  
He beamed at me.  
  
"Yes Mimi?"  
  
_Why can't he just leave me alone?_  
  
"What the heck do you want?"  
  
'Heck' was not what I really wanted to say. He still had that foolish grin on his face.  
  
"That's no way to talk to me, my sweet!"  
  
My left eye developed a serious twitch.  
  
"Get out."  
  
He frowned a little before the smile came back.  
  
_Idiotic jackass._  
  
"What time will you be joining me, love?"  
  
I focused my glare even more than usual. I swear that the veins were literally popping out of my forehead.  
  
"Don't call me that! And I'll join you when hell freezes over!!"  
  
We were making a scene at this point, but I don't think either of us cared.  
  
"Dearest, I just came in to have some lunch with you…"  
  
"Well I don't want to have lunch with you!! I don't like you! Why can't you wrap your thick head around that!"  
  
Some of the other waitresses were getting the manager. I didn't notice, and if I had, I still don't think I would have cared. Michael's flinched, but as always, a grin came back.  
  
"You do love me Mimi, you just can't see it right now, while that other guy that you live with blinds your sight. One night out with me and you'll forget all about him… What do you say?"  
  
"**NO!**"  
  
"Ahem."  
  
We turn to see the manager looking at us sternly. He turned to Michael.  
  
"You. I don't know who you are, but leave before I call the police."  
  
He turned back to me.  
  
"And Mimi, I'm sorry, but you're fired. I can't keep you on, not after this display."  
  
"Fine."  
  
I tossed my apron down and stalked out. Only two steps behind me was Michael as I stepped onto the sidewalk, which was surprisingly empty. I grumbled a few things under my breath.  
  
"Now, Mimi, where shall we go?"  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"Well, your manager obviously believes we ought to be together, or he wouldn't have fired you to give you time off to be with me!"  
  
I couldn't come up with anything to answer that. Well, I did come up with one thing, but it didn't have any words attached. I kicked him in the groin. Hard. Michael hit the pavement pretty fast.  
  
"Never come near me again."  
  
With that I ran off, back to the apartment. I seriously needed to vent my frustrations before I hurt someone besides Michael.  
  
_He deserves it after all…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, this should make for an interesting story. Talk."  
  
"Well, I uh…"  
  
"Now."  
  
"Look, can we talk about this face to face? You're a little big…"  
  
"No. How did you get here?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
_Fine, if that's the way he wants to play it…_  
  
**Digivolution…  
  
Impmon Warp Digivolve to… Beezlemon!**  
  
Pineapple head jumped down and crouched into a battle position, but waited. I held up a hand.  
  
"Easy. I just don't like feeling weaker than the other guy. I'll talk."  
  
He nodded, and the dragon thing above him flew off.  
  
"Then… talk."  
  
"I was in the park, minding my own business…"  
  
"Minding your own business?"  
  
_Sheesh, what is it with this guy? This new digivolution of his is a real hard-ass._  
  
"Fine, I had stolen some food from this chick and was on the run. Happy?"  
  
"Peachy."  
  
"Then this portal opens up behind me and a hand grabs me…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Owww! Leggo you dirty little pig! I'll kick your ass!"  
  
"You? I doubt it."  
  
I turned to see a SkullSatamon. A _really_ big SkullSatamon.  
  
_Crap._  
  
The thing glared down at me. It turned and launched its staff at an unoffending wall.  
  
"DAMN IT!!"  
  
It turned back at me, glare on full force.  
  
"Do you have any idea what you've messed up? I could have been the most powerful digimon in history! But no! You had to come along and get in the way! You're trash! You're worse than trash! I should delete you this instant!"  
  
_Great…_  
  
I gathered energy for digivolution, beginning to glow…  
  
"Impmon…"  
  
"NAIL BONE!"  
  
The attack slammed into me, and I couldn't move for the life of me.  
  
_Great. So this is how it happens. Taken out by an insane SkullSatamon. If I'm reformatted, I'll never live this down…_  
  
"But I won't. Delete you, that is. I have too many other things to do today to waste my energy on that. Goodbye, little trash heap."  
  
Then, another portal opened underneath me, and I dropped through. I could hear him speaking as I sank.  
  
"Great. It'll be _months_ before I can open a portal there again…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door slammed closed.  
  
_Oh boy._  
  
I called out a little hesitantly.  
  
"Mimi, are you okay?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
_This is bad…_  
  
I powered down the computer and stepped into the main room. This was something that I was going to have to deal with if I was going to get any peace. Mimi was bent over, and had her head in the freezer in the kitchen area.  
  
_Wow, she's got a nice butt… STOP! You're supposed to be comforting her, not fantasizing about her Izumi!_  
  
"Mimi, what's wrong?"  
  
"Men are jerks, that's what's wrong!"  
  
"Mimi?"  
  
She sighed and collapsed at the counter that separated the two areas.  
  
"I'm sorry Izzy, it's not you, really."  
  
"Mimi, what's wrong? You've been mad constantly lately. Let me help, I'm your friend. If you can't tell me, maybe you can tell Sora or someone, but you really need to stop bottling this up…"  
  
She smiled a little.  
  
"Yeah, maybe. Do we have any ice cream Izzy?"  
  
"You murdered the last carton yesterday."  
  
"Ugh."  
  
_Worth a shot…_  
  
"Well, we could go get some… my treat…"  
  
She smiled then, an actual smile.  
  
"Thanks Izzy. That sounds good."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~Months Previous~  
  
"Hey Joe!"  
  
"We've got a new member to our study group!"  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
I glanced up from my medical text to see a brown-haired young woman. She was wearing a weak, shy smile that invoked a protective instinct. Her hair was drawn in a bun, bringing it away from the large round glasses that were over her green eyes. She was wearing a loose yellow sweater and a long gray skirt. She gave a short bow.  
  
"Hello. My name is Carmela Shultz. I apologize for intruding."  
  
I lost my voice for a second, but quickly found it.  
  
"No, not at all. I'm Joe Kido. Please, sit down."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I smiled remembering our first meeting. I glanced next to me at the sunlight reflecting off her face as we walked in a comfortable silence. There was no need to fill the space with idle chatter. We stopped at a stream in the center of the park and watched some small fish go by. I smiled remembering Gomamon talking to the fish when we were here last. I decided to speak.  
  
"This is fun. We should do it more often…"  
  
She smiled and rested her hand on mine, giving it a little squeeze.  
  
"We should, but I can hardly ever pry you away from the text books."  
  
"I know, but we have a test coming up…"  
  
"Joe, sweetheart, we _always_ have a test coming up. It's what it means to study medicine."  
  
"I know. It's why I _always_ study so hard."  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Yes, but there is such a thing as studying too hard. I'm a little afraid you'll burn yourself out."  
  
"I know, but high-stress situations defined a lot of my younger years. I'm a little used to it."  
  
She smiled a little.  
  
"Oh? You don't talk about your past a lot Joe. What happened?"  
  
"Oh, I got lost for a while at summer camp with some other kids for a few days. It was that time it started snowing."  
  
She smiled.  
  
"You got lost _then_?"  
  
I chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, we became really good friends, despite my constant allergies and my complaining…"  
  
The conversation turned to other things then, and I gave an inward sigh of relief. It wasn't that I didn't trust Carmela, but she was a little… realistic. I don't know how else to describe it. She just seemed so grounded in the here and now that I'm not sure how she would take knowing that my closest confidante other than her is a talking digital sea monster.  
  
Gomamon hid when she came over, and stayed hidden no matter what happened. He said he was impressed that something besides my schoolwork had finally captured my attention, and he wanted to see how long I could keep it up.  
  
We talked and walked a while longer, before heading back to my apartment for some food while we hit the books again.  
  
_Thanks for keeping out of sight Gomamon._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Twenty minutes later Izzy and I were sitting in an ice cream parlor. He was eating chocolate, and I had strawberry.  
  
_Should I tell him?  
  
What will he do? What will change?  
  
I have to. He deserves that much at least…_  
  
"Izzy, about what's been happening lately…"  
  
He put his spoon down and focused on me. His voice was soft and gentle.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We really need to talk about it. The truth is, Michael's shown up."  
  
Izzy raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Is Michael a problem?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Today he got me fired."  
  
"Wow. Okay, that covers today, but…"  
  
"…what about the rest of it?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"The truth is that I came back here to Japan to escape _him_ more than anything else. Not that I didn't miss you guys, but he made the 'now' piece more important."  
  
"What did he do?"  
  
I sighed. This was still a hard story to tell, even to Izzy.  
  
"Modeling was good at first, you know? Clothes, makeup, professional hair stylists, the whole bit. The work wasn't that stressful and the pay was really good…"  
  
I trailed off, but Izzy prompted me.  
  
"But…"  
  
"But I got bored with it, and then frustrated with it. People mobbed me on the streets, trying to get my autograph, or… other… things, and my only true solace was Michael.  
  
"I told him I was thinking about quitting, and all he said was 'I see' and he quickly changed the subject. I could tell it bugged him, but then I didn't quite know how much. I started putting my things in order, canceling jobs and the like, trying to fade out peacefully.  
  
"Michael, on the other hand, was attempting to sign me up for other jobs behind my back. Trying to keep me in. So we argued about it, then it was over. Then… then…"  
  
I couldn't escape a sob at this point, and I broke down a little. I pressed my face into my hands. I felt Izzy put his hand on my shoulder and squeeze gently.  
  
"Let it out Mimi, come on, you can do it."  
  
"I found out he had been cheating on me for six months with another model, and I left in tears… and… and…"  
  
"…and now he's back, right?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
I collapsed on the table again, sobbing. I heard Izzy slide out of his side of the booth, and surprisingly, felt him sit next down next to me. His arm wrapped around me and started rocking me back and forth as he spoke.  
  
"Shhh… It's okay Mimi, it's okay. Don't torture yourself like this. You're stronger than this, and you know it. Don't let him get to you."  
  
I looked up at him.  
  
"You mean that?"  
  
"Of course. You're one of the strongest people I know. You can't let him get to you like this."  
  
I smiled.  
  
_Thanks Izzy…_  
  
Izzy seemed to realize just how close he was to me at that moment. He let out an 'eep' noise and scurried back over to his side of the table. I giggled a little at the sight, then I sighed.  
  
"It's just that he's always around, you know? He follows me everywhere. It's amazing that he hasn't shown up _here_ yet."  
  
"Well, there's something to be said for small miracles I suppose."  
  
"Yeah. If only he could take a hint."  
  
"A hint?"  
  
I grimaced.  
  
"I've told him, numerous times and in numerous ways, that I don't want to see him anymore, but he won't back down…"  
  
"That's… boneheaded… of him."  
  
"Yeah. What I need is something to throw him off. To really pound home the fact that I don't like him anymore…"  
  
We sat in silence for several minutes, and finished the ice cream. Then it hit me.  
  
_That's perfect! I've got it!_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hmm…"  
  
"What? You don't believe me or somethin'?"  
  
"It's not that. I'm just considering the situation. Why wouldn't Daemon delete you…"  
  
"Daemon? That was a SkullSatamon…"  
  
"Which is Daemon's ultimate form, considering I deleted him a little more than two years ago."  
  
"Oh… well, what now?"  
  
"I don't know. That's the problem."  
  
"Great. Just great."  
  
"I suppose we should go see Azulongmon, see what he says about the situation."  
  
Beezlemon suddenly drew his guns and attacked me, firing wildly. I raised the Gorgon to fend off the bullets, and dashed at him, only to be nailed in the side by… Behemoth?  
  
_When did that come back to life?_  
  
"Beezlemon, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"You don't _know_? Oh come on…"  
  
I jumped out of the way of the rampaging motorcycle and raised my shield to deflect more bullets as he came at me.  
  
"I really don't know! I can't control myself!"  
  
_What? He can't control himself?_  
  
"Oh, come on! What do you mean you can't control yourself?"  
  
"I mean I have no control over the fact that I'm attacking you, you idiot! It's like someone else is jerking me around like a freakin' puppet!"  
  
_Puppet? No, it can't be… can it?_  
  
I did a back flip, causing Behemoth to crash into Beezlemon, sending them both to the ground temporarily. There came a high-pitched laugh to the side. Out walked something I never thought I'd live to see.  
  
_Puppetmon?_


	22. Playing with Toys

Chapter 20 - Playing with Toys  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
I hop-skipped backwards before back flipping over Behemoth. We had been going at it for quite some time now, and the fatigue was starting to get to me. I landed on one knee, and halted, breathing hard. Puppetmon threw out his hands and dark wires extended from his fingers enveloping me…  
  
…And then they faded into nothing.  
  
Puppetmon responded to this by jumping up and down like the spoiled brat that he was.  
  
"WHY?! WHY?! Why can't I control you!! Grrrr! That makes me sooo mad! Beezlemon! Behemoth! I don't want to play with the toy soldier anymore! Go get them!"  
  
"You little freak! I'll get you for this!"  
  
Beezlemon was roaring at Puppetmon while he charged at me.  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
_Sorry Beezlemon…_  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The blast from my shield knocked him back, and he landed on his head before falling over, looking pretty bruised. Puppetmon looked at me with undisguised hatred. I jumped to my feet and charged at him, hoping to take him now that Beezlemon was down.  
  
No such luck.  
  
Behemoth rammed me again, sending me sprawling. Puppetmon stuck out his tongue at me.  
  
"PHBBBT! I'm done playing with you! Bye bye now!"  
  
He draped Beezlemon over Behemoth and jumped on himself, roaring off into the twilight.  
  
_It's gonna be one of those days. Ah, who am I kidding. It's gonna be one of those weeks._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The scenery was beautiful. The cherry-trees were in full bloom, and their petals were scattered across the patio. The night was clear, the stars twinkling brightly against the dark expanse, and the nearly full moon was un-obscured by even a single wisp of a cloud. In the center of the elegant patio, danced several couples, but I was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than my partner.  
  
She was dressed in a green v-necked, floor length dress with slits up the side. Her earrings were a heart shaped kunzite, and her hair was done in an elegant fashion.  
  
I felt like a clod of dirt in my rented tuxedo.  
  
"I'm not sure that this is such a good idea Mimi…"  
  
"Don't be silly, Izzy. Of course it will work."  
  
"That doesn't help the fact that my knees won't stop shaking."  
  
"Relax, you're doing fine."  
  
"Maybe. But what if he doesn't show tonight?"  
  
"Then we'll try again another night."  
  
_Why me? Why?_   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_What in the…_  
  
Upon my return, Azulongmon had made Gennai put out a call to the Digidestined. The meeting was scheduled for five minutes ago. Attendance was surprisingly low.  
  
Specifically, Cody, Ken, and Davis were here.  
  
_Okaaay…_  
  
"So, um, where is everyone."  
  
"On dates."  
  
I looked at Davis. My voice was rather flat.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Not my fault!"  
  
"Dates."  
  
"Um, yeah…"  
  
I groaned and put my head in my hands. Suddenly there was a huffing from behind us.  
  
"Sorry I'm late!"  
  
Joe came up behind us. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"And where were you?"  
  
"Studying."  
  
"Yeah, studying with…mmph!!!"  
  
Joe had his hand over Gomamon's mouth. We stared at him. He looked back.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
I took a look around.  
  
"Well, we're probably better off that TK's not here anyways. I ran off today because someone was opening the Dark Gates. The ones to the Dark Ocean."  
  
Cody looked at me funny.  
  
"You suspect TK?"  
  
I blinked.  
  
"No. I found out why the Dark Gates were opened, and they won't be a problem for a bit, but…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Patience Davis. A digimon I know came through unintentionally, an Impmon. He's become a mega level named Beezlemon, and currently, and this is the reason we might be better off without TK, Puppetmon has control of him."  
  
Joe's eyes were wide.  
  
"Puppetmon…"  
  
"Yep. Beezlemon is incredibly powerful, possibly even more so than Imperialdramon. He's more confused than anything else, but with Puppetmon controlling him…"  
  
"You're sure it isn't an act?"  
  
"You're the last person I would expect to ask that, Ken, but yes, I'm sure it isn't an act. Beezlemon doesn't exactly play well with others."  
  
I grimaced.  
  
"Sorry about the pun."  
  
Cody, serious as always, got straight to the point.  
  
"So where are they?"  
  
I shuffled my feet nervously.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So what? We split up and find them, then we kick their asses!"  
  
"Davis!"  
  
I cleared my throat to get their attention.  
  
"Actually, Davis has the right answer. We need to find them before they cause more damage."  
  
Ken nodded.  
  
"Right. Davis and I will go north, and you three can go south, all right?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"If you see them, call the others immediately. Let's go."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I watched the stars from my apartment balcony. Something was up, I knew it. Joe was kind and responsible, and never did anything without purpose.  
  
_So why exactly did he suddenly rush out with some flimsy excuse?_  
  
It was more than a little odd. There was a slight ringing from his pocket, and he excused himself to answer it. When he came back his eyes were a little wild.  
  
_"Sorry Carmela, we'll have to do this another time."  
  
"Why? What happened?"  
  
"Some friends of mine got into trouble and I need to go help them."  
  
"You mean they need you to bail them out again."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Joe, your friends keep getting into trouble. I was in some of your classes last year, remember? You made some excuses about your friends then too."  
  
"Carmela, it's not what you think. They just need some help with something they can't handle alone. I'm sorry, but I have to go."_  
  
And he just rushed out the door.  
  
I sighed.  
  
Joe was a mystery; one I hoped I would figure out soon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_I don't get it. What is it about him that seems off? Why can't I bring myself to trust him?_  
  
I looked forward. Takato was in front of us, wearing that black shirt, jeans and his single glove. I suddenly heard a crunch under my shoe. I stopped and looked down. Underneath my foot was a black and red digivice that was in the shape of Joe's.  
  
_Takato's digivice…_  
  
And it was now shattered beneath my foot.  
  
"Takato…"  
  
He looked back over his shoulder at me, a half formed smile on his face.  
  
"Yeah Cody?"  
  
"Um, I well…"  
  
I gestured down at my feet. He frowned for a moment, then gave out a little laugh.  
  
"I never did have any luck with these things."  
  
_What the…_  
  
"You're not… worried?"  
  
He glanced over at Joe.  
  
"No. I'm not. It's not my real digivice anyways, just a decoy that Azulongmon gave me so I could fit in."  
  
_"His world would be a hostile place for him right now…"_  
  
Suddenly it hit me. Why I didn't trust Takato.  
  
_Why? Why can't he go home?  
  
Well, the only way to learn anything is to ask…_  
  
"Why can't you go home Takato?"  
  
He looked at me, then down at his shoes.  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"I imagine we'll have time as we walk."  
  
He nodded slowly.  
  
"With Azulongmon's restrictions, I can only give you the abbreviated version, but…"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
He nodded at Joe, and we continued walking. He stopped and rested his hand on BlackGuilmon's head.  
  
"You smell Impmon boy?"  
  
"Nope. Sorry Takatomon."  
  
"It's okay boy."  
  
He patted BlackGuilmon on the head.  
  
"My friends and I were traveling the digital world in southern continent to rescue a friend. Eventually, we encountered Beezlemon. My friend, Jeri… she had a Leomon for a partner you know? Beezlemon deleted him in an instant. And there's no primary village in the southern quadrant either."  
  
His voice was pained.  
  
"I went nuts after that. I digivolved BlackGuilmon here, a regular Guilmon then, into his ultimate form, but we weren't strong enough. So, in my anger, I got BlackGuilmon to go mega. He turned into Megidramon. We were both crazy with bloodlust then. Megidramon deleted Beezlemon, but my friends were horrified at what I had done. So I left."  
  
"So you just ran from your friends? Sounds a little odd to me."  
  
"No. That wasn't all of it. I tried to go home first, but my parents were killed by… well, it doesn't matter. They were dead. I destroyed those responsible, but…"  
  
"But…?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"When I woke up, I was in the Dark Ocean."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Joe looked at Takato a little oddly.  
  
"Was it the same Beezlemon we're going after?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then why are you so convinced of his innocence?"  
  
"Because everyone deserves a second chance."  
  
I nodded a little. Then I remembered what started all of this.  
  
"If that wasn't your digivice, where is yours? Do you even have one?"  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, I've got one."  
  
His glove glowed then, and the symbol on the top rose up. He gestured at it.  
  
"_This_ is my digivice."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I was about to ask Takato about why his digivice was so different from any other model I had seen when a rumble screamed through the night. We all looked in the direction it came from.  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
Takato narrowed his eyes, then pointed his palm at BlackGuilmon. A red light burst out.  
  
**Flash  
Digivolution­_­  
  
BlackGuilmon Flash Digivolve to… BlackWarGrowlmon!**  
  
I looked at Cody and nodded.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Gomamon Digivolve to… Ikkakumon!  
  
Ikkakumon Digivolve to… Zudomon!  
  
Armadillomon Digivolve to… Anklyomon!**  
  
"RADIATION EDGE!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon slammed into the bike with his arm blades and held it fast. It had two riders, Puppetmon, and what was obviously Beezlemon.  
  
"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"  
  
"TAIL HAMMER!"  
  
The motorcycle, Behemoth, was slowly pushing BlackWarGrowlmon back, while our attacks had no effect. Next to me Cody was e-mailing Ken and Davis. Takato seemed to be stuck in the same position as his digimon. Then they both screamed at the same time.  
  
"ATOMIC…"  
  
"…BLASTER!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon finnished the attack, and twin beams shot out of the cannons on the sides of BlackWarGrowlmon's chest plate. They hit the bike at close range and it shattered like a pane of glass. Puppetmon and Beezlemon attacked.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
Then Takato reached for his waist.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Power Activate!**  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon, who had been struggling to hold Beezlemon's claw back, suddenly had no trouble; in fact, he reversed the move and charged into Beezlemon, thrusters flaring. Puppetmon's attack simply pinged against the armored exoskeleton.  
  
"Wow! You really beefed pineapple head up Takato. Time was that would never have worked."  
  
Takato smirked.  
  
"This is only the beginning."  
  
Puppetmon looked _really_ steamed.  
  
"Beezlemon! Stop holding back and destroy this fool! The other two are mine!"  
  
Puppetmon charged at us.  
  
"HORN AND TUSK!"  
  
"MEGATON PRESS!"  
  
Zudomon's attack managed to knock Puppetmon off balance, and then Anklyomon body slammed him. Puppetmon threw him off almost without effort.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
The attack headed straight for Anklyomon.  
  
"I don't need any of these weak toys!"  
  
"You monster! I won't let you destroy him!"  
  
Cody ran out and straight for his digimon, while something rooted me in place.  
  
"ANKLYOMON!"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Anklyomon Digivolve to… Scorpiomon!**  
  
The newly evolved Scorpiomon was thrown back, but was not as heavily damaged as Anklyomon would have been.  
  
"Zudomon!"  
  
"Right Joe! VULCAN'S HAMMER"  
  
"TAIL BLADE!"  
  
The attacks knocked Puppetmon back, but I knew it was only a matter of time.  
  
_He _is_ mega after all._  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
BlackGuilmon shot back through our melee, and Takato followed.  
  
"BlackGuilmon! You okay boy?"  
  
Puppetmon just laughed.  
  
"HEHEHEHE! We broke their toys! Now for the last laugh! Stay here toy!"  
  
Beezlemon looked at Puppetmon with a look of undisguised hatred.  
  
"When I get loose you toothpick, you are one dead tree! I AM NO ONE'S TOY!"  
  
"HEHEHEHE! Just watch the show, toy! PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Zudomon was slammed back, and he dedigivolved.  
  
"Gomamon!"  
  
He leered at Scorpiomon next. One attack later and Cody was cradling Armadillomon. He looked at Takato and BlackGuilmon next.  
  
"You're a big toy, but you're not very durable! Only the toughest toys will do! I don't want to play with you anymore!"  
  
He raised his hammer, and time itself seemed to slow as he brought it down.  
  
"PUPPET PU-"  
  
"GIGA DEATH!"  
  
Puppetmon was suddenly slammed back by the oversized hand of Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode. I looked up with relief to see Ken and Davis being set down gently by the dragon-man. Davis grinned.  
  
"Can we play?" 


	23. Broken Toys

Chapter 21 – Broken Toys  
  
I smirked as Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode came onto the scene.  
  
_Good. He can keep them busy for a bit._  
  
I hadn't been kidding before that Beezlemon was probably stronger than Imperialdramon. If he could fight ChaosGallantmon to a near standstill, then Imperialdramon wouldn't be a problem. The only reason that BlackWarGrowlmon had lasted against him was that Beezlemon hadn't really wanted to kill us.  
  
_But now that Puppetmon has specifically ordered him not to hold back…_  
  
I knelt beside BlackGuilmon.  
  
"You okay boy?"  
  
"I'm sleepy Takatomon… and hungry!"  
  
I laughed a little.  
  
"We'll get to that, boy. But right now we've got a battle to finish. Ready?"  
  
"Right behind you Takatomon!"  
  
"Thanks boy."  
  
"BlackGuilmon is in no condition to fight Takato!"  
  
I grinned at Joe.  
  
"Relax. It's all in the cards."  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Recharge Activate!**  
  
The card took effect, and BlackGuilmon rolled to his feet, ready to fight.  
  
"All right boy! Go get 'em!"  
  
**Flash  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackGuilmon Flash Digivolve to… BlackWarGrowlmon!**  
  
I looked to Ken and Davis, who were cheering Imperialdramon on.  
  
"I'll keep Puppetmon off you! Just try to get Beezlemon to stay down!"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"RADIATION EDGE!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon plowed his arms into the ground in front of Puppetmon, who jumped back to avoid them. His hands came down, and the dark strings enveloped him, attempting to take over. I could almost feel them running across _me_ too.  
  
"GRAHHHH!"  
  
That came from both of us. We swung our arms wide, and the string burst off of BlackWarGrowlmon, fading instantly. We growled. Puppetmon sulked. Then he raised his hammer.  
  
"If you won't be my toy, then I'll break you! PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon covered his face with his arms, warding the blow.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
Unfortunately for us, Beezlemon was fighting Imperialdramon, and winning.  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
Beezlemon dived out of the way of the beam, and his attack struck home. Imperialdramon reeled from the blow, but came back strong.  
  
"GIGA DEATH!"  
  
His clawed hand struck Beezlemon's jaw, knocking him back. But Beezlemon fell back farther than he had to, pulling Imperialdramon down on top of him.  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
At point blank range, the attack did much more damage than it would have ordinarily.  
  
"Ugh. You're a tough one."  
  
Beezlemon grinned, and they leapt to their feet, coming together in a contest of strength.  
  
"You're not so bad yourself! I just wish I wasn't being controlled by that freak job over there so we could duel properly!"  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
"GIGA DEATH!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
This is a place of darkness. Infinite darkness. The landscape is painted in shades of gray, because that is how it's master wishes it. The creatures here are vile and violent and repulsive, because this is how their master wishes them to behave.  
  
Their master is vast. Stronger than any of them in all aspects. They do not want to depose him. Any one of them who even begins to approach his powers are killed by him instantly. Their master is evil and darkness personified, and has only even been truly defeated by one person, or two depending on your point of view.  
  
In the pool below him, the SkullSatamon that was one a Daemon watches as his servants confront the boy who defeated him, and the digidestined.  
  
"Foolish Puppetmon. I did not send you out there to play children's games! It appears that you alone are not enough. Even though I let you have Beezlemon, useless to me as he is, you _still_ cannot win!"  
  
He watched as Puppetmon sent BlackWarGrowlmon to his knees. He paused in his rantings for a moment.  
  
"Perhaps you are not all bad. If you cannot do it, then perhaps all you need is some more power. But where to get it, I wonder?"  
  
He paused in his musings as Beezlemon and Imperialdramon fired on each other.  
  
"Perhaps what Milleniummon left behind, hmmm?"  
  
SkullSatamon fingered the dark spores.  
  
"But no. These work only on humans, and they have seen this before. What else could I possibly…"  
  
Something brushed his leg. He looked down, snarling viscously. Then he stopped. There was something about the small creature that had brushed his leg. It had _incredible_ power. Immediately he grabbed it. He considered it for a moment, struggling in his grasp. Then he dropped it in a nearby cage for observation. It would prove… _interesting._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I paused in my pacing on my balcony. Joe obviously wasn't going to tell me anything. He would most likely avoid me for a bit before making up some excuse. That wasn't going to work _this_ time.  
  
_But what can I do about it? I don't even know where he left _to_…_  
  
_Wait. Odaiba. His friends live in Odaiba._  
  
It was a place to start at least. I grabbed my purse from the counter and headed out.  
  
The trip to Odaiba was uneventful, and left me with plenty of time to second-guess myself.  
  
_What am I doing here? Why exactly am I trying to spy on Joe?_  
  
After thinking about it a moment, I knew the answer.  
  
_Because Joe will never tell me himself, he doesn't tru…_  
  
No, that wasn't it. Joe _did_ trust me. He was just taking too much on himself, as usual. He just didn't want me to worry.  
  
_Which I'm sitting here doing. But if what I saw was 'not worrying', then what's _really_ happening?_  
  
The thought made me more than a little frightened for Joe's safety.  
  
_I _have_ to find him._  
  
After a few minutes of driving fruitlessly around Odaiba, I pulled into a parking lot and paused to think.  
  
_This is hopeless. I don't even have any idea of where Joe is. I just know that this is where all of his 'friends' live._  
  
Then I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and gasped. A blond boy and a brunette boy were with a red-haired girl and a brown-haired girl.  
  
_I don't know who the brown-haired girl is, but the rest were in one of the photographs on Joe's wall!_  
  
The boys seemed to be arguing and gesturing at the brown thing in the brown haired boy's hand. The blond threw his hands up in the air as the four of them stalked off. Blondie handed the brown-haired girl some keys and she got into a car and drove off. The other three drove off in a different direction.  
  
I followed, but they went to a house, and didn't come out. Frustrated, I headed home.  
  
_Where are you Joe Kido?_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I cradled Gomamon protectively against my chest. I glanced down at Cody, who was doing the same with Armadillomon. There was nothing either of us could do, really. Over to the left, Imperialdramon was still going at it with Beezlemon.  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
Beezlemon, in agreement with Takato's earlier statements, did seem to be angry about being under Puppetmon's control. He did not, however, seem to want to lose the fight either.  
  
"Come on! I thought that Vaccine types were supposed to have the edge against virus types! Give me a challenge here! Or am I simply too tough for ya'?"  
  
"What!? Why you little…"  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
The surprise blow caught Imperialdramon by surprise. He went down in a heap, breathing heavily. He went for the killing blow, when BlackWarGrowlmon hit his back, having been sent flying by Puppetmon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Power Activate!**  
  
I watched, fascinated as BlackWarGrowlmon roared at his new strength, and closed in on Puppetmon. BlackWarGrowlmon was impressively strong, but Puppetmon was simply too fast for him.  
  
_What else is Takato capable of?_  
  
I watched in fascination as Puppetmon evaded blow after blow, each causing instantaneous craters to form. Puppetmon grinned.  
  
"I don't like playing with you, you're too slow!"  
  
Takato and BlackWarGrowlmon both growled at the same time.  
  
"Slow is he?! I'll show you speed!"  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Hyper Speed Activate!**  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon roared again as his form seemed to start to blur. Puppetmon stuck out his tongue.  
  
"Where's all that speed you were boasting your toy had, huh?"  
  
Takato's eyes narrowed as Puppetmon turned around and bent over, smacking his butt. Then, Takato's mouth curved into a grin.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon shot forward like a cannon, and slammed into Puppetmon, sending him flying through a few trees.  
  
_He wasn't 'blurring', he was vibrating! Containing the speed!_  
  
Puppetmon, however, got up.  
  
"You made my clothes all dirty! I'm gonna get you for that!"  
  
Puppetmon's form seemed to glow with an unearthly black aura, and he raised his hammer. I didn't like the look of it, and held Armadillomon closer.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
The attack didn't launch the ordinary pellets this time. It launched balls of shimmering darkness that exploded on impact. BlackWarGrowlmon was sent flying, straight into Beezlemon's back, disrupting one of his attacks.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Izzy and I ate an absolutely wonderful meal in the restaurant.  
  
_So far this has been a fantastic evening!_  
  
Michael hadn't shown, but that was understandable. He was probably holed up somewhere, icing down what remained of his privates. The results of the evening, however, had nothing at all to do with Michael's presence, or lack of it. The evening had a lot to do with Izzy.  
  
_He's so sweet!_  
  
Izzy had been _extremely_ nervous all night, but not once had my good friend backed down from what I had suggested, that he play the part of my boyfriend, to get Michael to face facts and go home.  
  
_He's so cute when he blushes and stutters like that…_  
  
Izzy was attempting to say something suitably romantic in playing his part, but he kept tripping over himself. I giggled, and his entire face flushed. I stopped giggling, but kept a warm smile on my face while he tried to fight his blush. Izzy's tuxedo looked slightly out of place on him, but he was decidedly handsome anyways…  
  
_Am I really thinking these things about Izzy?_  
  
Izzy was very much a gentleman, and would never even think about betraying me the way Michael did.  
  
"Is something wrong Mimi?"  
  
I looked at Izzy, his red hair combed for once, a worried looking frown on his face.  
  
_Oh well._  
  
I brought my smile back and placed my hand over top of his.  
  
"No Izzy. Nothing's wrong."  
  
_Things couldn't be better._  
  
Deciding to let my feelings for Izzy come as they might, I settled back in my chair and chatted with Izzy for a while longer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I breathed a sigh of relief as BlackWarGrowlmon disrupted Beezlemon's attack, sending it wide.  
  
_It gives Imperialdramon time to breathe at least._  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon dedigivolved, groaning in pain. Takato rushed to his partner, dodging between Beezlemon's legs. There was a glow, and Takato started back, holding the much smaller BlackJyarimon in his arms.  
  
"HEHEHEHEHEHE!"  
  
I looked over and gasped. Puppetmon was more than fine. The black aura surrounding him made him appear to be even more sinister than he already did.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Some of the shots hit Beezlemon, who started cursing Puppetmon again, while others hit Imperialdramon, knocking him over from where he was kneeling, breathing hard. Beezlemon got up, and Puppetmon closed in, looking for the kill.  
  
_NO! WORMMON, NO!_  
  
I sank to my knees, and both hammer and shotgun rose.  
  
"DOU-"  
  
"PUPPET –"  
  
A white booted heal slammed into Beezlemon, throwing him into Puppetmon. Above us there was a screech, and Garudamon came in for a landing, Sora, Tai and Matt on her back. Matt grinned.  
  
"Thought you could use a hand."  
  
"Thanks Matt."  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
"SUPREME CANNON!"  
  
The glowing black orbs came out in a constant stream, holding Omnimon's beam in place. Beezlemon came in from the other side.  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
"TRANSCEND SWORD!"  
  
Omnimon was struggling with both of them holding him down on either side.  
  
"POSITRON LASER!"  
  
Puppetmon looked up, only to catch the beam in the face, and be sent flying backwards. Beezlemon jumped back then, causing Omnimon to become suddenly unbalanced and stagger a bit, going down on one knee next to Imperialdramon.  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
The attack headed straight for the both of them, Imperialdramon and Omnimon. They were so close together that you couldn't tell who it was aiming for. Omnimon, while he had the energy to, was not moving. If he did, Imperialdramon would be toast. He chose to take the attack dead on.  
  
_Thank you… Omnimon._  
  
In the confusion, we didn't notice Puppetmon get back up until it was too late.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Imperialdramon and Omnimon leaned against each other, breathing heavily, unable to do anything as the attack came in.  
  
"NOOOO!"  
  
This came not only from me, but from Davis, Tai and Matt. We all were rushing forward, our steps synchronized. Suddenly, we were forced to back off as a red light engulfed our two digimon. 


	24. Toy Soldiers

Chapter 22 - Toy Soldiers  
  
The moon lit the night sky with a brilliant radiance, illuminating the lake in its glory. The air was mostly silent, with only the slight rippling of the water to be heard as it flowed into the supports of the bridge. The bridge itself was an-arched thing of wood and beautifully wrought cast-iron, giving the place a romantically scenic appearance.  
  
I had to say, that despite the fact that my knees wouldn't stop shaking, the evening had been nice so far. That said, I was torn between wanting Michael to show or not.  
  
_Option one. Michael shows, we get this over with, and I stop having heart attacks every three seconds.  
  
Option two. He doesn't show, and I get to be with Mimi more. Like this, anyway._  
  
I sighed, but Mimi didn't notice, she seemed to be transfixed by something. I looked to where she was, and was slightly startled to see a boat out on the water. Mimi looked up at me, a dreamy expression on her face, and smiled.  
  
"Isn't that romantic Izzy? There are probably two lovers on that boat, just gazing up at the moon…"  
  
She sighed then, but it was one of happiness and contentment. I spoke rather softly, and most notably, without thought.  
  
"Maybe next time Mimi…"  
  
She looked at me once more, slightly blushing, her smile rather soft and muted, yet all the more meaningful because of it.  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
The wind picked up a little then, and she drew closer to me for warmth, causing my brain to overload and shut down temporarily. Thus my instincts kicked in, and I put an arm around her. She looked at me with the same look as before, and she moved a little closer, my other arm joining the first at the small of her back.  
  
Our heads got closer.  
  
Our lips parted.  
  
Our eye slowly began to slide closed as our lips moved closer and closer.  
  
Our heads ripped apart suddenly at a voice.  
  
"MIMI!"  
  
The moment broken, we broke apart and looked down sharply. There, in the boat, was Michael.  
  
_How the…_  
  
I shook my head. How Michael knew we were here was not important right now. He had this adoring, oily smile on, and there was a frighteningly glazed look to his eyes.  
  
"Mimi, you don't have to date that cretin just to get me jealous! I love you! Jump to me darling! I'll catch you!"  
  
Mimi plastered a smile on her face and looked down.  
  
"Just a moment!"  
  
She turned back to me.  
  
"Grab that rock Izzy."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't argue with me!!"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
I picked up the rock and handed it to Mimi. It was large enough that I had to use both hands to lift it, but still fairly light, as Mimi took it from me easily. She looked over the side.  
  
"Alright Michael, catch."  
  
The grinning fool held his arms open and waited. Mimi chucked the rock at him. It hit him square across the face and he toppled backwards over the boat and into the water. Mimi smiled over the railing, then offered me her arm.  
  
"Shall we go then?"  
  
"Uh, heh heh, um, sure…"  
  
I hesitantly linked my arm through hers, and we walked of, Mimi nearly dragging me in her effort to get away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Ooookay. What the hell is that?! I would say it's the catalyst, but _I_ certainly didn't do it._  
  
**DNA  
Digivolution_  
  
Omnimon… Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode… DNA Digivolve to… Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode!**  
  
The light faded, and there he stood in all his glory. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode.  
  
_Well, this certainly gives us an edge… I just wonder where that light came from… oh well, I can figure that out later._  
  
For a moment, no one moved while we all took in Imperialdramon's new form. Then, predictably, all hell broke lose. Puppetmon opened.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Imperialdramon skillfully back flipped over the barrage, and charged in, only to be met halfway in by Beezlemon.  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
"GIGA DEATH!"  
  
Imperialdramon knocked Beezlemon back, but he swiftly recovered, and form his prone position on the ground, went for his guns.  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
Imperialdramon jumped, but…  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Surprisingly, the pellets made a 'ping' noise and went down.  
  
"OMEGA BLADE!"  
  
Puppetmon scrambled backwards, barely dodging the strike. Imperialdramon closed once more.  
  
"GIGA DEATH!"  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
Imperialdramon spun about and began the charge at Beezlemon again, who was grinning a little.  
  
_I am _so_ going to have a word with Impmon when this is done._  
  
The two flailed about, with Imperialdramon unable to back off. Every time he tried, Beezlemon's hands went for his guns and shot at him. Beezlemon still seemed capable of holding the holy knight's sword with his claws. Behind them, Puppetmon was breathing heavily.  
  
_That's why. The aura faded! That's why his attack didn't affect Imperialdramon!_  
  
Unfortunately, my assessment was a tad too late.  
  
"AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"  
  
Like something out of Dragon Ball Z, Puppetmon's primal scream prompted his aura of deep, black, evil energy to come forward and stand out.  
  
_Not cool. Definitely not cool._  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Fortunately, Imperialdramon saw, and was able to dodge. Beezlemon wasn't so lucky.  
  
"YOU $&!($&!)$! LITTLE PUPPET! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR @$$ WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS!"  
  
With Beezlemon down for now, Imperialdramon took to the sky to catch his breath. Puppetmon snorted, and redirected himself.  
  
At us.  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
Garudamon dove in front of us, taking the attack, but she was dropped instantly to her in-training form.  
  
"Yokomon!"  
  
Sora rushed forward, right into the path of the incoming Puppetmon, but the deranged children's toy was intercepted by Imperialdramon's shoulder. Puppetmon was not enjoying being ground slowly into woodchips by Imperialdramon's shoulder, so be pointed his hand at Beezlemon and, reactivating the threads, commanded Beezlemon's recovering body to move.  
  
_Of course…_  
  
"DAVIS! The wires! Now!"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Imperialdramon! Cut the strings!"  
  
"Don't have to tell me twice! OMEGA BLADE!"  
  
The move flew right through the wires as Beezlemon struggled to rise. Then the wires shattered. Beezlemon started laughing.  
  
_Uh oh._  
  
"Um, guys? I'd tell Imperialdramon to get out of there…"  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
Beezlemon's attack flew in at Puppetmon, Imperialdramon barely escaping in time. Puppetmon got up, a little shaken.  
  
"How dare you! You are my toy! Now I have to break you!"  
  
"Heh. Just try it."  
  
"PUPPET PUMMEL!"  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
Beezlemon ignored the pumped up pellets that tore through him as he dove forward. The nearly suicidal move surprised Puppetmon, and he had no defense as Beezlemon's claw plunged through his back, and he began to delete. Beezlemon started loading Puppetmon's data. IO didn't try to stop him, and the rest of the Digidestined were in shock. It surprised me more than a little, but I _didn't_ get flashes of Leomon's death while it happened.  
  
_Of course, Puppetmon's a whole 'nother 'mon._  
  
I looked down at BlackJyarimon, and smiled at him.  
  
_*We did well today boy.*  
  
*I know Takatomon. Can I have food now?*  
  
*Let's finish this Beezlemon business first boy. I'll get you something to eat when we get home. Why don't you rest for now?*  
  
*Okie Dokie… 'night Takatomon.*_  
  
BlackJyarimon closed his eyes and started to drift off. I placed him in my hood, and approached the rapidly recovering Beezlemon.  
  
"Dedigivolve. We need to talk."  
  
"Hmph. Fine. Just wait 'till I'm done here."  
  
I smiled a little.  
  
"It's okay. Finish. I'll sleep better knowing that he's not going to be around anymore. I just want the Digidestined over there to relax a little, and a mega level demon lord isn't helping the situation."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"What makes you so sure I'm not a threat?"  
  
"You wouldn't have even attempted to talk your way out of fighting me when I first found you in the desert."  
  
"Hmph. Just saving it for later."  
  
I laughed then. I laughed long and hard, and after a bit he joined in. With all of the day's events, it was a liberating experience. The Digidestined, unable to hear us, looked at us like we were nuts, though. Beezlemon finished his data-load, and proceeded to dedigivolve without arguing with me. I looked at him funny, and he caught it.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm surprised a little."  
  
"Well, don't get used to it. If I were at full health, I'd grind you and pineapple-head into the dirt, Gogglehead."  
  
"Impmon… Nevermind. Just call me Takato, 'Gogglehead' doesn't exactly fit now that I've lost my goggles does it?"  
  
"Huh? Where'd they go?"  
  
I blushed a little.  
  
"Long story. Let's go assure the Digidestined you're an okay guy and get some sleep. It's getting late."  
  
"Where am I staying?"  
  
"With me, even if I have to stay _here_ with you. You're not getting out of my sight for now."  
  
"One little mistake… sheesh."  
  
Impmon's mistake hadn't been 'little', but I let it go. My mistake hadn't been little either. The tension I had noted earlier from the Digidestined had decreased noticeably since Impmon's devolution. Impmon, surprisingly, was the first to speak.  
  
"Uhhhh… hi."  
  
Matt's voice was a little like ice.  
  
"What the _hell_ was that?"  
  
"Um, you'll have to be a little clearer blondie."  
  
"That… thing… where the data… you…"  
  
_Oh crap. I knew I forgot something._  
  
I stepped in before Impmon could say something stupid and/or insulting in Matt's general direction.  
  
"Oh… that. It's a southern quadrant thing. It's one of the reasons that southern quadrant digimon are so violent, they can load the data of their fallen opponents to make themselves stronger, or, in this case, heal themselves."  
  
"Isn't that slightly… evil?"  
  
I smiled at Sora.  
  
"Evil? Not really. But I still disagree with it on a moral basis, so I only let BlackJyarimon do it in extreme emergencies."  
  
"Like…"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"I don't _like_ it, but if it's a choice between BlackJyarimon's life or death, I don't hesitate to order him to do it. There are a few other… special… cases where I'll tell him to though."  
  
"And those are…"  
  
Tai this time.  
  
_Great. When did this turn into something about _me_?_  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"I'll probably be in enough trouble just telling you what data loading is. I wouldn't have if it weren't necessary."  
  
Tai grumbled a bit but relented on the subject. Ken was the next person to speak up.  
  
"So, uh, what about _him_."   
"Well, he's staying with me until I can figure out what to do with him. I'll understand if you don't want him there though, we can just crash out here for the night."  
  
Ken sighed.  
  
"No. That's fine. Wouldn't want you to catch something."  
  
He paused a bit, before giving Impmon a halfhearted smile.  
  
"_Either_ of you."  
  
With that, Imperialdramon dedigivolved, and we started for a TV. I hung back a bit to talk with Impmon.  
  
"Impmon, do the both of us a favor, and _don't_ say anything about the southern quadrant. Azulongmon says we shouldn't."  
  
"And I'm supposed to listen?"  
  
"It'll make our lives a lot easier."  
  
"Good point. I'll play along."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
We walked a little ways behind the Digidestined, just far enough that they couldn't hear our lowered voices.  
  
"Takato…"  
  
I looked down at the imp beside me.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks. For bringing me back. And for today. Some other stuff too, I guess."  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Yeah, well, we both screwed up pretty big. I'm surprised you said that though."  
  
"You tell anyone, you're…"  
  
"Dead. Yeah. I heard that from Rika a lot. How… nevermind. I'll ask you tomorrow. Right now we should just go back to Ken's place and sleep."  
  
I yawned, and Impmon followed suit.  
  
"Yeah, tomorrow sounds good."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lay on the bed, petrified.  
  
_Oh, that was smooth Izumi, real smooth. What the hell were you thinking trying to kiss Mimi?_  
  
Unfortunately, the answer was that I _wasn't_ thinking, and that was potentially dangerous in my situation. The scene was etched in my head now, and it wouldn't leave, consequently leaving me without sleep.  
  
_I'm not sure whether to thank Michael or strangle him._  
  
I groaned and rolled over, a thousand things rushing through my mind in a single instant.  
  
_What would have happened if he hadn't shown up?_  
  
I sighed.  
  
_I would have panicked at the last minute and embarrassed myself, that's what._  
  
This didn't help matters though, and I tossed and turned some more.  
  
I didn't get any sleep that night. 


	25. Impmon's Tale

Chapter 23 - Impmon's Tale  
  
I was sitting on the roof of the apartment complex, admiring the view of the sunset. The way the colors mix together, a brilliant tapestry of yellow, orange, and red. BlackGuilmon was snoring beside me, but it somehow seemed to blend into the background noise.  
  
Surprisingly, Impmon wasn't ruining it by mouthing off. We both had questions, but neither of us really wanted to start. I knew we had to eventually though. I had started the day cautioning him on what he could and couldn't tell the Digidestined around here.  
  
But Impmon running his mouth wasn't what worried me.  
  
I couldn't contact Azulongmon.  
  
I also couldn't contact Grani.  
  
I could tell Grani still existed, but I couldn't contact him. Something was wrong.  
  
_But first thing's first. Talk to Impmon._  
  
"So…"  
  
He eyed me warily.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
_Start with something simple…_  
  
"How are the others?"  
  
"I don't think anything has happened to them. Haven't heard anything anyways."  
  
"Haven't heard anything?"  
  
"We're not exactly on the best of terms, Takato."  
  
"Because of _that_?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Damn. Your tamers doing okay?"  
  
"I don't know, and I don't care either. Haven't seen 'em in a few years. Good riddance. Hmph."  
  
_So much for easy…_  
  
"What happened?"  
  
He looked at me like I was nuts.  
  
"You really wanna know?"  
  
"Might as well. I don't know how to get you home, and without Azulongmon, my chances of finding out are slim to none."  
  
He smirked.  
  
"Well, fine. If you _really_ wanna know…  
  
"It was a decent day. Not really that great, but the ups slightly outweighed the downs. And that's only because the regrets came later.  
  
"The good news?  
  
"I hatched.  
  
"I was with my tamers again, too. I wasn't too happy about that at the start, but I calmed down a little after they got me something to eat.  
  
"I should have stayed with the first assumption. It would have saved me a lot of time.  
  
"But, despite my fears, things were good at first. The twins were surprisingly nice and caring for a bit. Their parents were a little uneasy about me when I was Kiimon and Yaamon, but what could I do right?  
  
"Then it blew up in my face when I digivolved.  
  
"I was happy to be Impmon again, you know? I could walk and go places on my own, I wasn't a walking, defenseless piece of free data for just any passing digimon. Now that I was a rookie again, I found I could still go mega again if I had too now.  
  
"In short, life was good. But only for a while, then it all came crashing down."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Impmon, come play with us!"  
  
"Okay, okay, sheesh!"  
  
I jumped down from the rooftop, and intercepted the ball when Mako passed to Ai. Laughing, they began chasing me, and just to be a good sport, I let them catch me and take the ball. We played for a while, but then something happened. Mako threw the ball a little too hard and it hit Ai.  
  
"WAAAAHHHH! Mako you… you… Impmon, get him!"  
  
I froze. This was bad. This was _very_ bad. There was no way I was going to follow Ai's command, but refusing was almost as bad.  
  
"Uhh…"  
  
Ai got up, tears still in her eyes.  
  
"Impmon, I said to get him!"  
  
Mako stood up for himself.  
  
"Get me? Impmon, if you get anyone, it should be her! I didn't mean to do it, it just happened!"  
  
"Impmon, get him!"  
  
"Uhh…"  
  
"No, get _her!_"  
  
"Him!"  
  
"Her!"  
  
"_Him!_"  
  
"_Her!_"  
  
"HIM!"  
  
"HER!"  
  
"**HIM!**"  
  
"**HER!**"  
  
"**SHADDUP!!**"  
  
The noise stopped so suddenly and so completely I could have heard Renamon sneaking up behind me.  
  
_Great, what do I do now?_  
  
The only thing I knew when I shouted was that I wanted the noise to stop. Now that it had, I had no idea of what to say to them.  
  
"Um, look guys, I'm not going to be 'getting' anyone. Especially if it's either of you two. So, um, stop fighting, okay?"  
  
It didn't exactly work the way I'd hoped.  
  
"But he threw the ball at me!"  
  
Mako was still angry too.  
  
"I was supposed to, you dummy!"  
  
"I'm not a dummy, you are!"  
  
"Nuh uh, you are!"  
  
Still in shock about what was going on, I did the first thing that came to mind.  
  
I ran.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Wow. That sucks. A lot._  
  
"I'm sorry Impmon. I didn't know."  
  
"Yeah, well don't sweat it Takato. It was years ago."  
  
"You never tried to go back?"  
  
"Nah, why bother? Humans are always the same. They don't change that much."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It's simple! Humans don't change. I mean, look at you, you're still the overly nice kid I used to know. You've grown a bit, but you're still the same person."  
  
I snorted.  
  
"What a load of crap! You want to talk about change? Look at Rika, how much did she change?"  
  
"Change? What are you? Nuts? If she did change it was only to get worse!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Lemme tell ya a little story. This happened not long after I left my tamers in the dirt for the second time."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_I am sooo bored._  
  
There was a loud growl from my stomach.  
  
_I'm also hungry._  
  
Then, as if on cue, the divine scent of something barbequing. My mouth started watering instantly. I tracked the smell deep into the park, back behind the shed to the other side, where I saw an absolutely _humongous_ feast awaiting me.  
  
_No one will notice if I only take a little, right?_  
  
I didn't sense the digimon until it was too late.  
  
In my defense, I'd just like to say that I don't think well on an empty stomach. I jumped down onto the outdoor barbeque. Someone screamed, and that was when I felt them. Six digimon.  
  
_Crap…_  
  
Taking a quick look around, I breathed in a quick sigh of relief. It was only Terriermon, Lopmon, Monodramon, Dobermon, Renamon, and an Elecmon that I assumed was Jeri's.  
  
Jeri was the one screaming.  
  
At me.  
  
"Renamon, get him!"  
  
"Wha…?"  
  
_Now why would they…_  
  
Renamon came at me fast and hard. I jumped off the grill, not wanting her to hit it, as I was still intent on getting a little grub.  
  
"Hey, watch it!"  
  
"POWER PAW!"  
  
I jumped back, barely dodging, flipping backwards.  
  
"Oh come on! I just wanted a little food!"  
  
"MURDERER!"  
  
Jeri was screaming at me, clutching Elecmon to her chest, shaking in fear.  
  
"DIAMOND STORM!"  
  
I jumped backwards to avoid the lethal spray, rebounding off a tree trunk and into it's branched where I would be harder to spot. I stopped to rest for a moment.  
  
"He's in there somewhere Renamon. I want that little freak's data!"  
  
_Great, me and my big ideas._  
  
"DIAMOND STORM!"  
  
I hop skipped out of the tree as virtually all the leaves and branches were torn from it. I beat a hasty retreat, running for blocks before I somehow lost Renamon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Geeze…"  
  
"Yeah. I scared this old guy into running from his hot dog cart later just to get something to eat. I'm not proud of it, but that's pretty much my only option."  
  
"I wonder what happened? Before I left, Rika was actually starting to be… well, nice. Now you say she's…"  
  
"Off her rocker?"  
  
I paused for a moment.  
  
"Something like that. Look, Impmon, humans do change with time. I'm not sure what made them lash out at you there, other than the last time they saw you was, well…"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"That's not the point. The point is that people can change. It was probably just a bad reaction from the last time, harsh as it was."  
  
Impmon jumped down and sat beside me, BlackGuilmon still snoring gently on my other side.  
  
"My tamers didn't seem to change all that much."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"I never go to meet your tamers Impmon, I know that. But the thing is, no one really knows how to share when they're six years old. All kids are a little selfish at that age."  
  
"Maybe…"  
  
"Well, don't think on it too hard. Just remember that you don't have to run around knocking over food carts here. Help me out a little and I'll make sure you're fed."  
  
"Putting a leash on me?"  
  
I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I need you to behave that badly. But seriously, if I can't contact Azulongmon, then it means something is seriously wrong. I need to know if I can count on you."  
  
Impmon grinned at me and he asked his question in an over-eager tone that told me he wasn't really all that serious about it.  
"Do I get to blow things up?"  
  
"Within reason."  
  
"I'm in."  
  
We chuckled a bit, then I stretched and stood up.  
  
"Look I've got an early start tomorrow morning, and most mornings, so I need to get some sleep."  
  
Impmon looked at me a little warily.  
  
"I don't need to keep that schedule do I?"  
  
"Not if you keep yourself out of trouble you don't. Remember, there are a lot of digimon roaming the city."  
  
"Yeah, I know. 'The majority of them aren't going to attack humans and a lot of them don't like virus types' blah blah blah."  
  
"Yeah. See you tomorrow Impmon."  
  
"Yeah, see ya."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The SkullSatamon that used to be Daemon was furious. Dozens of smaller viruses within the Dark Ocean had already felt the former mega's wrath. But now his tantrum had passed, and he was looking at things more objectively, pacing in his heavy thoughts. He was also talking to himself.  
  
"I must admit that it was inevitable that outright force would fail me. But this new digimon, this new mode of Imperialdramon's disturbs me. At full power he would be nothing, a mere insect. But weakened as I am once more…"  
  
The larger than life ultimate leveled digimon sat down to think. He thought for three days. Then he sighed, stood and began pacing again.  
  
"It's a little unimaginative, but there's no reason it wouldn't work. But I'd have to keep him on a tighter leash than I did the last one. Perhaps it's finally time to awaken my 'sleeper'."  
  
He waved his hand, and a portal appeared, drawing a young man through. He looked confused at first, then frightened, before SkullSatamon stretched forth his hand and an inky black void enveloped him. SkullSatamon withdrew his hand, and the young man was smiling, an creepy, evil, smile devoid of anything pure.  
  
"Awaken my sleeper, and do my bidding."  
  
"Yes, my master?"  
  
"Your time has come, small one. You will attack now, while he has Azulongmon locked away."  
  
"Yes, my master, they will fall before my wrath."  
  
"FOOL! Do you not think I have already tried that?! In a direct conflict they will crush you!"  
  
The young man looked confused again.  
  
"Then what is it you would have me do, my master?"  
  
The enlarged SkullSatamon calmed once more before proceeding. He had to remind himself that he had not chosen this servant for it's intelligence, he had chosen it because it was easy to dominate, easy to guide.  
  
"You will do what I tell you slave. Confusion will be your ally, the shadows your home. You will strike, and then leave, leaving only hostility and chaos in your wake."  
  
"Yes my master."  
  
The SkullSatamon growled, but restrained itself once more.  
  
"Never mind, fool, I will tell you _exactly_ what you must do. You will follow without question, as always."  
  
The young fellow who had sold his soul to the proverbial devil smiled that same oily smirk of smile he had earlier, and asked a single question.  
  
"And the reward we agreed upon?"  
  
"Yours. Once the job is complete. Once the Digidestined are out of my way for good it is little enough to ask."  
  
The evil grin widened on the young man's face, and the two began to discuss things in detail, SkullSatamon going over all the steps several times to make sure that nothing would go wrong.  
  
SkullSatamon grinned at the irony as he watched the portal close behind his subordinate. This was one of the few deals he genuinely intended to honor. If the fool did the job right.  
  
After all, if the fool actually succeeded, not that he held that much hope, it was simply a distraction after all, then the fool's reward would cause the Digidestined far more pain than he himself could ever deliver to them.  
  
Things were finally beginning to look up for the dark digimon lord of the Dark Ocean Between Worlds. 


	26. Shake Ups

Chapter 24 - Shake Ups  
  
"I don't think this is a good idea guys…"  
  
"Oh, _come on_ Takato, you'll never know unless you try, right?"  
  
"I suppose…"  
  
I marched on like a man going to his own execution. This would not be pretty, I could tell you that much. I moderately in shape, and had decent coordination, but soccer was not something I thought I'd be good at. The only consolation I had was that it was after school and no one would be able to bear witness to my humiliation. Davis, Ken and I reached the soccer field without difficulty. Despite his lack of Dark Spore, Ken remained a valuable player, if not quite up to his old standards, given he was now a goalie.  
  
Davis threw the ball onto the field, and we both went after it. Davis got to it first and began driving towards me.  
  
_Closer…  
  
Closer…  
  
Closer…  
  
Now!_  
  
I ran up and kicked, attempting to steal the ball. It was a scene right out of Charlie Brown, I'm sure of it. I completely missed the ball and went up in the air, coming down flat on my back.  
  
"Ouch. You okay, Takato?"  
  
"I think so…"  
  
Davis cut in.  
  
"Good. Then you'll have no problems trying again."  
  
"Ugh…"  
  
I got up anyways though. If Davis didn't think I'd given it my all, I'd never hear the end of it, and Davis has a long memory.  
  
Well, when he actually _wants_ to remember something that is.  
  
The second attempt wasn't as bad. I still missed the ball, but I didn't end up on my back this time.  
  
"Okay, let's try something different. I want _you_ to start with the ball, and drive towards Ken here, who will be guarding. I won't be blocking you, we'll get to that later. Without interference, I wasn't that bad, but in soccer there was always interference. In any event, I drove the ball towards Ken a kicked at it as hard as I could.  
  
That was more effort than I should have put in to it.  
  
I'd been continuing my training, so my legs were in really good shape. The problem was that I didn't aim the kick properly. It sailed up over the net and right towards the glass double doors the signaled a school entrance.  
  
"Oh boy."  
  
"We're dead."  
  
"Pretty much, yeah."  
  
We could only watch helplessly as it continued on towards its destination. We'd never make it in time and we all knew it. An unexpected miracle occurred then.  
  
The door opened.  
  
_Wait, that means…_  
  
Yes, the person attempting to exit the building was slammed full in the face by a soccer ball. A roar of rage and pain was heard. Davis, Ken and I all looked at each other.  
  
"Bye Takato!"  
  
"Good luck!"  
  
In seconds I was standing watching two dust trails forming.  
  
_Nuts._  
  
"Did _you_ do this, _boy_?"  
  
_This is sooo not cool._  
  
I recognized that voice. I turned around to face Dominic.  
  
"Heh heh… oops."  
  
He wasn't amused.  
  
"Cullen, Ryong…"  
  
His two lackeys came out of nowhere and held me fast.  
  
_Where do these guys keep coming from anyways? Davis and Ken are gonna be dead men when I get my hands on them…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I am _really_ bored."  
  
"Then why don't you come with me, Impmon?"  
  
_Huh?_  
  
Behind me was that blue digimon, Veemon.  
  
"Uh, sure… I guess. What's up?"  
  
"Eh, not much, but a lot of the digimon are gathering in the computer lab."  
  
"Hmm… beats being bored."  
  
"Great!"  
  
I followed the blue one into the lab where BlackGuilmon, Wormmon and Patamon were waiting, snacking on the things the purple haired girl had brought.  
  
"Hey Impmon!"  
  
I suddenly realized why Takato was here. These people were willing to put the past behind them fairly fast. I smiled and relaxed. The food was good, but we weren't really all that hungry, except BlackGuilmon of course, and soon we were bored again.  
  
"Hey… there are all these computers in here, right? Why don't we do that 'net surfing' thing I heard TK talking about?"  
  
We all just looked at each other as Veemon raced for the nearest computer. He jumped on top and squatted partially, spreading his arms front and back for balance. Patamon flew over.  
  
"Veemon, that's not what you're supposed to do!"  
  
"But Davish showed me what surfing was on TV. Of course this is how you do it!"  
  
I was chuckling, and would have laughed, if BlackGuilmon hadn't distracted me right then.  
  
"Pbffff! Hey, this isn't food!"  
  
_Huh?_  
  
I turned back to BlackGuilmon, who had something in his hands.  
  
"What is it BlackGuilmon?"  
  
"I'm not sure Wormmon, but I know it's not edible."  
  
"Lemme see."  
  
BlackGuilmon tossed the packet over. My eyes widened as it landed.  
  
_Whoa. Heh heh… cool._  
  
"Do you know what it is Impmon?"  
  
"Yeah. One of the coolest things the humans ever invented."  
  
"Really, even better than bread?"  
  
I looked at BlackGuilmon like he was nuts.  
  
"Of course it's better than an bread! Much better."  
  
Wormmon looked at me with big eyes.  
  
"Really, what is it Impmon?"  
  
I grinned.  
  
"These, my friends, are firecrackers."  
  
BlackGuilmon came over and looked curiously at the packet in my hands.  
  
"Really? How did they get in our food bag?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Eh, who knows, maybe they fell in by mistake. Her loss right? I mean, what she doesn't know won't hurt her, will it?"  
  
Wormmon seemed to think this over for a moment.  
  
"I suppose you're right, Impmon, but what do they do?"  
  
"Lemme show ya!"  
  
I threw the packet on the floor, purposely aiming away from Veemon, who was still doing some kind of funky dance on the computer over Patamon's objections.  
  
I took aim.  
  
"BADA BOOM!"  
  
_Perfect shot! As always…_  
  
The firecracker started blowing off multi-colored sparks everywhere as it zigzagged across the room at a ferocious pace. We all just watched, mesmerized by the movements and the colors. So naturally, none of us noticed the computers starting to smoke, right?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dominic reared back his fist, and I prayed for something, anything to happen that would make him stop.  
  
Prayers are answered in funny ways.  
  
There was an earth-shattering explosion then, and I'm told that a lot of scientists thought it was an earthquake at first. The glass from the building shattered and shot out like bullets, narrowly missing us, as the shockwave knocked us all off our feet. Dominic and his two hench-goons got up first, me completely forgotten.  
  
"What the hell was _that_?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Every computer in the lab had blown up pretty much at once. Patamon, BlackGuilmon, Wormmon and I looked at each other.  
  
"Hey, where's Veemon?"  
  
We look around, but we couldn't see him.  
  
"Wait, there he is!"  
  
We looked up to where Patamon was pointing. Veemon had his head stuck in the ceiling and his legs were flailing as he tried to get out. Finally, he did, and he came crashing down into the center of us. He looked right at me.  
  
"Impmon, did you do that?!"  
  
I pulled at my bandanna nervously.  
  
"Uh, yeah…"  
  
He grinned suddenly.  
  
"That was _so_ cooool!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stared down at Impmon incredulously.  
  
"So you're telling me that blowing up the computer lab was an accident?!"  
  
"Uh… yeah…"  
  
I smacked my forehead.  
  
"Aye-yi-yi…"  
  
"Impmon, that was you?!"  
  
He looked at Davis a little nervously. Davis continued on.  
  
"That was awesome! I'm getting you some ice cream."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Davis looked at me.  
  
"Oh, come on Takato. It was an accident! And besides, we won't have school for weeks now while they get everything replaced!"  
  
I sighed.  
  
_I can't win._  
  
"Fine, go. At least they didn't pin it on any of us."  
  
Davis chuckled.  
  
"Yeah. They're still looking for sixth graders in animal costumes."  
  
Impmon looked up at me.  
  
"Uh, you're not _really_ mad, are you Takato?"  
  
I smiled a little.  
  
"No too much I suppose. Just… try not to do it again, okay?"  
  
He grinned.  
  
"Sure!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The man surveyed the amusement park. It was crowded.  
  
_Perfect._  
  
He signaled.  
  
"RIVER OF POWER!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_My luck must be really bad some days…_  
  
Izzy frantically helped me to my feet. I thought that the time a week ago when I pitched Michael into the lake would have given him a clue. I didn't. If anything, he was worse now. He believed Izzy did it, and was determined to get him away from me before he did something similar. So, Izzy and I were back out here, attempting to do the happy couple thing.  
  
_Not that spending time with Izzy is bad… Then this happens._  
  
I wasn't sure where MetalSeadramon had come from, but it was a really bad thing. Tentomon and Palmon were back at Izzy's apartment.  
  
"Mimi!"  
  
_Oh lord, not again._  
  
Michael came hurrying up the avenue.  
  
"I'll save you Mimi!"  
  
I gripped Izzy's arm and hissed at him.  
  
"We run, now."  
  
He nodded and we started running away from him.  
  
"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
Michael was chasing us through the rubble.  
  
_Great._  
  
"HELL SQUEEZE!"  
  
MetalSeadramon wrapped itself around the Ferris Wheel and squeezed, bending and twisting it out of shape. Michael caught up with us and looked at what was happening.  
  
"What the… How dare that thing threaten my Mimi! Get away you beast!"  
  
He started running towards it, screaming and flapping his arms. A huge piece of debris was heading towards him. At the same time, MetalSeadramon saw him and started lunging for him, horn first, intent on impaling him. Michael was an idiot, but I didn't wasn't anything bad to happen to him.  
  
_Well, not this bad anyways…_  
  
"ROSETTA STONE!"  
  
As Nefertimon destroyed the stone, Pegasusmon flew down and pulled Michael up out of the action just as MetalSeadramon slammed into the space where Michael had been. The bad part was that TK returned him over to where Izzy and I were.  
  
"Michael, you idiot! What were you thinking?!"  
  
"Mimi, my love, my darling, my light! See, you do care! I thought I would die and never again be entranced by your beauty!"  
  
I growled.  
  
"Shut up Michael. I didn't want to see you die, but that doesn't mean I want to lay eyes on you ever again!"  
  
He looked up at me with his blue eyes wide and happy.  
  
"Don't keep saying lies to keep this abuser happy Mimi! Of course you want to see me again! Tell him how you really feel, and come away with me!"  
  
"Fine."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"Izzy…"  
  
He gulped.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
I pulled him to me and kissed him. Long and hard. Michael was up and about, yelling franticly.  
  
"Hey! Stop that! Get your lips off her you Neanderthal!"  
  
I broke the kiss a little reluctantly. I looked towards Michael.  
  
"Who I kiss isn't your concern Michael."  
  
He looked at us uncomprehendingly. Then he growled.  
  
"I will find out what hold he has on you Mimi! Then I will crush him and save you, my love! Believe!"  
  
And with that, he just ran off.  
  
"Well, that was weird."  
  
"Yeah… sure…"  
  
I looked at Izzy. He seemed a little dazed from the kiss.  
  
_That's __sooo_ cute!  
  
Since Izzy was in no condition to, I looked around, trying to find what had happened. MetalSeadramon had vanished, and TK and Kari were coming for us, arguing about something, their digimon trailing behind.  
  
"I'm fine TK, it's just a bump on the head."  
  
"Are you sure? You should really get it checked out, you know."  
  
"TK quit! You're just as bad as Tai sometimes!"  
  
He blushed.  
  
"Sorry Kari."  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Forgiven. For now, anyways."  
  
Then she stuck out her tongue a little.  
  
"I hate the sound of that 'Sorry Kari'. Sounds like a little kids rhyme…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
SkullSatamon smirked. His servant had deviated from the path slightly, but it had worked out. The Digidestined would be so distracted by this that they wouldn't even know what hit them when the true plan came to fruition.  
  
He would have his day.  
  
And it would be soon.  
  
A long laugh echoed through the Dark Ocean. 


	27. Troubled Water

Chapter 25 -Troubled Water  
  
He surveyed his surroundings from the roof of the skyscraper he was standing on.  
  
That was what he should have done earlier. He could not allow the Digidestined to interfere with his master's plan. He had to make sure that no more than one of then was there, for he could not afford to lose. He had come too closer earlier today. He had to make sure.  
  
His reward…  
  
He shuddered with delight just thinking about it.  
  
Down in the crowd of people there was only one Digidestined, a weak one at that. He signaled, and MetalSeadramon moved in.  
  
"RIVER OF POWER!"  
  
The attack crashed headlong into the crowd of people. Only two figures stood their ground.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Armadillomon Digivolve to… Anklyomon!  
  
Anklyomon Digivolve to… Scorpiomon!**  
  
_Perfect…_  
  
While this Digidestined's ability to digivolve to ultimate was a surprise, it was not a problem. He smirked.  
  
All was going according to plan.  
  
"TWIN SWORD!"  
  
"ULTIMATE STREAM!"  
  
MetalSeadramon's attack easily overwhelmed Scorpiomon's, and Scorpiomon was knocked backwards and down, almost hitting his Digidestined. The boy's urgent pleas for his digimon to get up were laughable.  
  
"MetalSeadramon… finish him… slowly."  
  
MetalSeadramon, as asked, slowly moved in for the kill. There was a low rumble in the distance, but the man dismissed it as thunder, for the sky was darkening with clouds.  
  
"RIVER OF POWER!"  
  
To the man's surprise, the wounded Scorpiomon managed to move out of the way.  
  
"TAIL BLADE!"  
  
The man smirked.  
  
_No matter if the ant managed to dodge. His attacks don't make a dent in MetalSeadramon._  
  
The rumbling was a bit louder now, and the man looked around, seeing nothing. He looked at his digivice, and saw no incoming Digidestined. He smirked again.  
  
_Doesn't matter what the sound is. Not a Digidestined, so MetalSeadramon will take it down easily._  
  
Still, his master's commands were explicit.  
  
"Do it MetalSeadramon! Now!"  
  
He got a feral roar in response.  
  
"HELL SQUEEZE!"  
  
MetalSeadramon coiled around Scorpiomon like a snake, squeezing tightly. The rumbling noise turned into a screech as a larger than life motorcycle swerved out of an alley and into a stop.  
  
"Now that _really_ pisses me off."  
  
A large biker digimon dressed in black leather stepped off the bike. He cracked his knuckles.  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
The man's mouth fell agape when the single attack forced MetalSeadramon off of Scorpiomon. The biker grinned.  
  
"Come on, what's the matter?"  
  
_Damn._  
  
His master's instructions were explicit. With a digimon capable of delaying him unnecessarily on the scene, he was forced to flee. MetalSeadramon knew this as well, and hurried to his master, before the two vanished among the darkening clouds. None of the three below could see well enough to know the man had ever been there, not noticing he had been there throughout the entire encounter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later that afternoon, I listened casually to Mimi while she was on the phone, not really meaning to eavesdrop.  
  
"Hi Maria! I just called to see what's up with you guys? Uh huh… really? Phil did _what_?"  
  
She smiled and laughed, and I smiled too.  
  
_She could certainly use some cheer._  
  
"I honestly don't understand what you see in him Maria. And I can't believe he got Lou involved. Steve I could almost see going with him, but _Lou_? Aggg…"  
  
She frowned then.  
  
"Maria? What's wrong?"  
  
Her frown deepeend.  
  
"What? What was it you weren't going to tell me?"  
  
There was a pause while she listened to Maria on the other end of the line, then her eyes widened. She spoke again, but softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
Her hand came to her mouth and a horrified expression came over her face.  
  
"When…?"  
  
She sat down, and her hand moved up to cover her eyes.  
  
"H-How is he taking it?"  
  
She swallowed and sat down.  
  
"I-I see. That's understandable. Tell him… tell him I'm sorry."  
  
There was a pause while she listened to the other end.  
  
"What? Are you sure? I see. No, no, everything's under control, we'll be fine. Look, just tell Lou that we're very sorry about it. I'll call in a few days. Okay? Bye?"  
  
I looked at her.  
  
"Mimi? What's wrong?"  
  
"Lou…"  
  
"What about him, Mimi?"  
  
Never having actually met him, all I remembered about Lou was that he was an American Digidestined. I wasn't really sure what was going on, but Mimi was frantic.  
  
"T-There was a MetalSeadramon… it…"  
  
_MetalSeadramon? Don't tell me…_  
  
"It what, Mimi?"  
  
"It deleted Tortomon…"  
  
The floor seemed to shift under me for a second.  
  
"D-deleted…"  
  
My mind reeled at the possibilities. I had always known Tentomon could be hurt in battle, and I knew that digimon could be deleted, but the possibility had never seemed real before.  
  
"Do you think that this MetalSeadramon was the same one that we've been facing Mimi?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"It happened yesterday. Lou and Tortomon were wandering near the harbor, an out of the blue, it just…"  
  
She started crying then. I embraced her, letting her cry on my shoulder.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wait… he attacked you too, Cody?"  
  
He nodded, holding Upamon, who was looking extremely depressed.  
  
"Yeah. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for Impmon."  
  
I glanced down at the little guy. He was scuffing his foot against the ground.  
  
"I came in to clobber the guy, not save your hide…"  
  
I smiled a little. The virus was an okay guy.  
  
"Whatever you say Impmon, whatever you say…"  
  
Then I frowned.  
  
"Two attacks in one day. He really gets around doesn't he?"  
  
Izzy nodded.  
  
"From the amusement park to the intersection Cody was attacked at? Not to mention New York and back… He's really moving Tai."  
  
I nodded, and looked at Takato.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
He sat for a moment.  
  
"I might have encountered a situation like this before. If I'm right, his only real purpose is terrorism and destruction. Still, something doesn't seem right…"  
  
"You mean the fact that you can't contact Azulongmon?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Or my… intermediaries… something with that kind of power isn't to be taken lightly."  
  
I slammed my fist into my palm.  
  
"This is the _second_ Dark Master to be revived! In addition to taking MetalSeadramon down, we also have to figure out what is blocking Azulongmon and just who is reviving these digimon."  
  
Izzy's face turned grim.  
  
"And I think we'll find that we get the same answer to both questions."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That evening, I was back on the roof with Impmon.  
  
"What do you think about all this?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"I'm not really too sure. I don't really have the right to say anything. I deleted Leomon, remember?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, but I ended up deleting you a few minutes later."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I suppose we can try and reason with him…"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"That sounds good. But if we can't reason with him?"  
  
Impmon's eyes became hard as rocks.  
  
"Then we delete him."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"That's the difference between the us and him Impmon. At least we know it's wrong."  
  
He nodded slowly.  
  
"I guess, but after Leomon…"  
  
"I know. We don't have a choice though."  
  
"We'll do what we have to then."  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
I looked down at him and smiled.  
  
"Nice to have someone I can talk about these things with."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't so tired Takato.  
  
I smirked.  
  
"Sure, Impmon, sure…"  
  
Then I frowned in concentration.  
  
"I think 'Takato' is going to be taking a vacation to find Azulongmon."  
  
He looked up at me.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"That's just my excuse."  
  
I narrowed my eyes and continued.  
  
"Actually, I think it's time ChaosGallantmon took a hand in this little game."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"You want me to stick around here I take it?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"If you don't mind. They can always use the extra help."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Sure. But you owe me one!"  
  
I chuckled.  
  
"Yeah. Whatever."  
  
"Hey! That's my line!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Here Upamon, I brought this for you."  
  
Upamon looked at the food in my hand.  
  
"No thanks Cody."  
  
I looked down at Upamon, extremely worried. He had been looking worried and afraid, and the only other emotion I'd ever seen him with other than some form of happiness was anger. And he was never one to refuse food.  
  
"Okay, Upamon, what's wrong?"  
  
He looked up at me, a worried expression on his face.  
  
"Cody… I think Tai's wrong…"  
  
"What about?"  
  
"About the Dark Masters being resurrected."  
  
I kneeled down beside him and put the food on the floor for later.  
  
"Why Upamon?"  
  
"Well, it's just…"  
  
He sighed, then continued on.  
  
"Cody, have you ever been really ashamed of something?"  
  
"You mean like the time I lied to get Joe out of class to help us?"  
  
"Yeah, but worse than that. Something so bad you couldn't ever tell anyone. You're just that scared of what they would think or say or do if they ever found out."  
  
"What does this have to do with these attacks Upamon?"  
  
"Tai is wrong. I don't think it, I _know_ it. Puppetmon was a fake. Well, he was a Puppetmon right enough, but he wasn't the same one as the Dark Master. Neither is MetalSeadramon."  
  
I frowned.  
  
"How do you know this Upamon?"  
  
"Puppetmon just didn't feel like the real Puppetmon did."  
  
"You could feel that even inside the altar we found you in?"  
  
"Not exactly…"  
  
"Then what? How do you know?"  
  
He looked up at me, his eyes full of tears.  
  
"Because Cody, _I_ was the original MetalSeadramon!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~A Week Later~  
  
I growled under my breath as I went down the street in my car.  
  
_Where did he go _this_ time?!_  
  
Joe had run out again, this time in the middle of a test. His pocket had started beeping, and he had excused himself to answer it. He had rushed back in, apologizing to the teacher and promising he'd be back to take it another day, then grabbed his stuff and ran out of the room.  
  
This wasn't the first time either. In the last week, Joe had cut every one of our dates, study or otherwise. He even ran out on a lunch that we had planned for the last two weeks.  
  
Then, I was suddenly jolted out of my thoughts as there was a traffic jam on the bridge. I cursed under my breath and then sighed.  
  
_Where are you Joe? I just wanted to help you…_  
  
Then I saw it. Out in the fog there was a shape. It was long and skinny, like a serpent. The shadow came out of the fog and looked at those of us on the bridge like appetizers. People were out of their cars and running. I got out myself, but like some others, I just stood there, shocked.  
  
_What is that? I hope Joe isn't caught up in this…_  
  
It looked similar to the beings from the attacks three years ago, and the ones that came before that. The media didn't know what to think of them, and the government hadn't given any details, they had just said that 'the crisis is over'. No one knew anything. The only thing I remember was that my mother was killed in the first assault.  
  
_Mother…_  
  
It howled then, it's eyes glowing a dark red, and it looked at the bridge. Then to my surprise, it spoke…  
  
"RIVER OF POWER!"  
  
A bright beam of energy erupted from its nose at the bridge, and me, exploding. Or at least it should have. When I realized that the bridge wasn't collapsing beneath me, or that I wasn't fried to a crisp, I looked up.  
  
There was what looked like an oversized evil knight standing over me, holding his shield up to the blast. The blast poured in, and the road beneath him started to crack under the pressure. Those that hadn't run before were now, but I was too frightened to move.  
  
_Mother…_  
  
He looked down at me and said something, but in my panic I couldn't understand. I backed off slowly, away from his blood-red eyes, away from _him_. And then the bridge collapsed beneath me.  
  
I allowed myself to scream as I fell… 


	28. Shattered Lives

Chapter 26 - Shattered Lives  
  
I fell.  
  
I'm not sure how long I fell, or how far, but I know I fell, even as my scream echoed out into the void. The creatures were fighting, just as they had all those years ago.  
  
_Like they were doing when mama died._  
  
My mother had died defending me from some ghost-thing. And in the end, it hadn't mattered, because she was dead, and they found me anyways.  
  
And now they were fighting again.  
  
_And it looks like I'm the first casualty. Maybe I'll see mama again…_  
  
And then I hit the water and blacked out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_This is beyond bad… I just hope that one's on our side._  
  
Other than ChaosGallantmon out there on the bridge, I was the only Digidestined out here. The others were coming, and I didn't know if they would make it in time. ChaosGallantmon was a mystery. He admitted that he had wanted Sora for something, but had also saved our lives.  
  
Gomamon was digivolved to Zudomon, but I didn't think we'd last long against MetalSeadramon, much less ChaosGallantmon.  
  
Then I heard a scream.  
  
I looked and I saw someone falling.  
  
"Zudomon!"  
  
"I see her, Joe!"  
  
Zudomon swam out and got her. I couldn't quite see who it was from my perch behind his head, but Zudomon stopped suddenly.  
  
"Oh, Joe…"  
  
"Zudomon?"  
  
"You'd better take a look Joe…"  
  
"Of course I should. A med-student is better than nothing, right?"  
  
"That's not what I meant Joe…"  
  
_Huh?_  
  
I looked down at Zudomon's rising hand.  
  
"Oh… no… Carmela. Zudomon, about face! Get us to shore! Now!"  
  
"You got it, Joe!"  
  
_Oh jeeze, oh jeeze, oh jeeze…_  
  
I was climbing down off of Zudomon before we even reached shore, I landed in water up to my knees, but I ignored it, running as best I could over to where Zudomon was placing Carmela down. I rushed over to her and began checking her over for injuries.  
  
_Please be okay Carmela, please…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"RIVER OF POWER!"  
  
I let the Gorgon take another beating. I didn't have much choice, if I didn't the bridge would collapse. Not only did that mean I would lose my support structure, but a lot of innocent people would get hurt.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
MetalSeadramon easily avoided my attack. It wasn't that hard. I couldn't move and my attacks both go in a straight line.  
  
_*GRANI!*  
  
Damn, still no answer…_  
  
I could see Zudomon and Joe out of the corner of my eye, obsessing over the girl that had fallen.  
  
_I'm glad she's going to be okay, but I could really use some support fi… crap!_  
  
With a loud groan of tearing metal, the bridge gave out, and I began tumbling towards the water myself.  
  
Then I slammed into something hard as I started moving upwards again.  
  
_*Grani?!*  
  
*You called, Takato?*  
  
*I didn't think you could hear me…*  
  
*I could hear you, but… let's save it for later.*  
  
*Right. Let's end this. Now.*_  
  
I leapt to my feet, Grani doing some fancy flying to make sure I didn't fall off, and we set out for the scaled serpent.  
  
"ULTIMATE STREAM!"  
  
We swooped out of the way of the attack and kept going. Then, without warning, we dived for the sea, leading him on, before shooting out just over the water.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
This attack was also easy for MetalSeadramon to dodge, but the next two attacks hit dead on.  
  
"FLOWER CANNON!"  
  
"HORN BUSTER!"  
  
MetalSeadramon flinched though not really injured, and turned to greet his new foes. Grani and I came up from below, my lance extended.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
My attack slammed into him at close range, and MetalSeadramon roared in pain. As we passed, I noted movement on top of it's head.  
  
_A human?! Well, that would certainly explain a lot…_  
  
These attacks had been way too calculated to be done by a digimon like MetalSeadramon. It was way too arrogant for one thing. It would have stuck around to fight, not run at the first sign of trouble.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The phone rang.  
  
Given my mother was out, and grandfather was at the dojo, I left Upamon to answer it despite the fact that he was still very upset.  
  
"Hida Residence."  
  
[Cody? It's Yolie. How fast can you get down to the bridge? MetalSeadramon's out there over the water, and only Joe is out there right now.]  
  
I looked over at Upamon, who was just sitting there, eyes wide with fright.  
  
_Sorry Joe…_  
  
"I don't think I can Yolie. Upamon's not in any condition to fight right now."  
  
[What's wrong?]  
  
"It's…"  
  
Upamon was giving me a look. I closed my eyes.  
  
_Only for you Upamon._  
  
"He really wore himself out yesterday. He's exhausted right now."  
  
[I understand Cody. Thanks anyways. We'll manage, don't worry.]  
  
"Yeah. Bye Yolie."  
  
[See you!]  
  
I looked over at Upamon. He looked back, tears in his eyes.  
  
"They can't know Cody, they can't know…"  
  
I sighed and squatted down next to him before sitting completely and taking him into my lap.  
  
"What do you want me to do then? We can't ignore this forever."  
  
"I know, but…"  
  
He looked up at me eyes wide with fright.  
  
"What? You can tell me anything Upamon. You know that…"  
  
He burst into tears and started crying.  
  
"I don't want to be him again Cody! I like how it is now. I like us! I don't even know how I was like that before, but I don't want to be that way again! I don't want to be him again… but ever since I evolved into Scorpiomon…"  
  
I finally understood.  
  
"You're afraid of being a MetalSeadramon again?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I don't want to be him again Cody… I don't want to be that way…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I watched from the bridge as Lilymon and MegaKabuterimon flew around MetalSeadramon.  
  
"FLOWER CANNON!"  
  
I grinned as the attack hit dead on.  
  
_I don't care what it takes MetalSeadramon. You'll give Lou his Tortomon back._  
  
Next to me Izzy squeezed my hand reassuringly. I looked over and he smiled at me. I smiled back, but then returned my attention to the fight.  
  
_Come on Lillymon. Show him that we're not afraid of him._  
  
Lou was a good friend, and so was his Tortomon. It wasn't right that he had been taken away. It just wasn't.  
  
_And we'll get Tortomon back. Somehow._  
  
"HORN BUSTER!"  
  
MegaKabuterimon was doing his best to support Lillymon too. Then, suddenly, MetalSeadramon's tail came out of nowhere, striking Lillymon dead on, sending her crashing down to the bay below.  
  
"Lillymon!"  
  
"MegaKabuterimon!"  
  
_Huh?_  
  
I glanced away from Lillymon shortly to see what was wrong, just to see MegaKabuterimon swoop by, catching Lillymon on his back. I smiled as Lillymon recovered, and started flying again, while the black knight kept MetalSeadramon busy.  
  
_Thanks Izzy…_  
  
"RIVER OF POWER!"  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
MetalSeadramon fired off his attack first, but ChaosGallantmon's met it in the center, and both digimon tried to overcome the other. Lillymon and MegaKabuterimon waited. If they went in now, the resulting explosion could cause a lot of damage. Then, the blue and gold dragon the knight was riding began to move closer to MetalSeadramon, slowly at first, but gaining speed as MetalSeadramon backed up.  
  
Without warning, the dragon plummeted as ChaosGallantmon jumped, allowing MetalSeadramon's attack to pierce right through the area he had been only a moment before. But the knight's jump carried it forward as well.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The black beam of energy from the knight's lance pierced the thick metal plating on the serpent's head, and it burst into data. The knight landed on the dragon like they had planned it a thousand times, and the data began sucking into him. When it was finished, the dragon, assumedly at the command of the knight made its way over to us.  
  
_How will we get Tortomon back now?_  
  
ChaosGallantmon jumped from the dragon's back onto the bridge, onto a stable secton, causing a shiver, but not much more damage. I don't know why, but I yelled at him.  
  
"HEY! How dare you! I needed that data!!"  
  
The knight looked down at me.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"MetalSeadramon stole the data of my friend's Tortomon! If it weren't for you, Tortomon would have been reborn!"  
  
The knight snorted.  
  
"You forget, Digidestined of Sincerity, that we are not within the digital realm. This Tortomon's data, along with MetalSeadramon's would simply have vanished without the cohesion to remain stable. There is no primary village in the human world. Uncontrolled data simply… fades…"  
  
My face went ashen and drawn.  
  
"But… but…"  
  
There was a hand on my shoulder then. Izzy's. He spoke softly.  
  
"He's right Mimi. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. There's nothing we could have done."  
  
_No…  
  
Poor Lou…_  
  
I bowed my head. The knight spoke again.  
  
"This one was guiding the MetalSeadramon. You may take your complaints to him."  
  
I looked up, and he dropped a struggling figure onto the ground out of his previously closed hand. He signaled to the dragon with a wave of his hand and it flew off, shimmering out of sight. Then he too disappeared, vanishing in an explosion of green data. The figure on the ground got up, a sadistic grin on his face as he ran for me.  
  
"Michael?!"  
  
Michael stopped.  
  
"Come with me Mimi! Come with me!"  
  
_Michael did this? Michael destroyed these buildings, killed those people… deleted Tortomon?!_  
  
My rage overwhelmed me at that point. I stalked closer to him, and he opened his arms, obviously seeing only what he wanted too.  
  
"Yes, you come to me just as he said you would! Yes, come, be wi…ugh!"  
  
I hit him. Not a slap like last time, but a real hit. The delusional bastard finally seemed to take the hint as his eyes clouded with confusion.  
  
"But, but, he promised… He promised we would be together…"  
  
He looked up at me, eyes pleading. I turned my back on him and ran to Izzy, throwing my arms around him, and preceded to cry as the police arrived. Michael started raving.  
  
"I did this for you Mimi!! I did it!! I did this! All for you, Mimi! All for you! He promised you would be mine when I did this! That you would be mine!"  
  
The police started rounding people up for questioning. Izzy and I were among them, but I could only concentrate on two things. Tortomon was gone for good, and Michael had done all of this in my name.  
  
I kept crying, and Izzy kept holding me.  
  
The world was a dark, cruel place right then.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke a little groggy. I heard a strange, deep voice.  
  
"How is she Joe?"  
  
I heard Joe's voice then, and calmed a litte.  
  
"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think she's going to be fine Zudomon."  
  
"That's good."  
  
_Zudomon?_  
  
I blinked, opening my eyes. Joe was right above me, looking down. He smiled.  
  
"Carmela! You're okay! I thought you were going to be out for awhile!"  
  
I smiled at Joe.  
  
"I think I'll be okay…"  
  
"That's good…"  
  
I turned at the deep voice. And screamed. Scrambling back.  
  
_It's one of them…_  
  
It was huge, looking something like a cross between a walrus and a turtle, carrying a mean looking hammer. Joe looked at me in concern.  
  
"Carmela, it's okay, really. He won't hurt you!"  
  
"Joe, come away from it. Now. Don't be stupid. They can't be trusted…"  
  
Joe frowned.  
  
"Zudomon wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't sincerely deserve it Carmela. Please calm down, let's talk about it."  
  
The walrus-turtle thing behind him took a step forward. I squeeked in fright and fell back. I scrambled to my feet and turned, running for my life. I heard Joe calling, but didn't care.  
  
"Wait! Carmela!"  
  
_I can't believe he's with them. Those things are dangerous, he just can't see it._  
  
I ran until I reached home, where a message from Joe was waiting for me. I deleted it. I lay down on my bed and began to cry bitterly.  
  
_When will it end Mama? When will they stop haunting me?_


	29. ChaosGallantmon Does New York

Chapter 27 - ChaosGallantmon Does New York  
  
The reports had come out of Central Park an hour ago. The police recognized the being from what the Odaiba Digidestined called the world tour.  
  
There was a digimon in Central Park.  
  
"Maria, wait up!"  
  
I glanced behind me at Phil, trying to catch up with his FlareRizamon.  
  
"I can't help it if Centaurumon is faster Phil."  
  
"No, but you could get off his back and walk like me and Steve. All of us arriving together, team spirit, any of this ringing a bell?"  
  
I froze at 'team spirit' and just stared at him. He looked at the ground, taking his cap into his hands.  
  
"Look, Maria, I'm just sayin' that we have to stick together, you know? We don't know who this is or why he's here. And…"  
  
I brushed a tear out of my eye and finished.  
  
"And with Mimi back in Japan, Michael in an asylum, and Tortomon deleted, by Michael no less, we're even more pathetic than ever. Is that what you're trying to say Phil?"  
  
He took a step back.  
  
"Not in that way Maria…"  
  
I glared at him.  
  
"IT'S TRUE ISN'T IT?!"  
  
"Easy…"  
  
I glanced at Steve. He just sighed and shook his head. I calmed down and spoke again.  
  
"Sorry Phil. And you too Steve, it's just…"  
  
Phil nodded and approached, while I slid off of Centaurumon's back. He put his arm around my shoulders.  
  
"I know, I know. We all feel it, I'm not sure why fate chose now to dump all this on us, but that's the way it goes, you know?"  
  
I nodded, and straightened myself.  
  
"All right team, we're going in."  
  
I had a bit of a time convincing the officers to let us in to Central Park, but Steve stepped in and they let us through to try and talk to him, see if we could convince him to be peaceful long enough to get someone out here who could send him back to the digital world.  
  
What we saw was nothing like what we expected.  
  
In a clearing there was a dragon laying on the ground resting. It might have been a digimon, but I didn't recognize the type. Neither for that matter did I recognize the black knight leaning by a tree next to it. The knight turned was in turn studying us as we entered the clearing.  
  
"Um…"  
  
_Oh, real smooth Maria…_  
  
He cut off what ever else I would have said.  
  
"You are the New York Digidestined?"  
  
I nodded slowly.  
  
"Yes. Who are you?"  
  
He grunted, considering the question, then answered.  
  
"I am ChaosGallantmon. Your numbers are incomplete."  
  
I blinked.  
  
_What?_  
  
When I didn't say anything he continued.  
  
"There should be two, no, one more of you. I had forgotten that the digidestined known as Willis lives in Colorado. But that is a moot point. Bring to me the Digidestined known as Lou."  
  
"What?!"  
  
He looked down at me.  
  
"I thought I was rather clear. I shall reiterate. Bring me the Digidestined known as Lou."  
  
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.  
  
"And what do you want with him."  
  
"Business."  
  
I took a step forward, Centaurumon right behind me.  
  
"That's not good enough."  
  
He stopped leaning against the tree and stepped forward himself.  
  
"I am a mega level virus type digimon. What do you think Centaurumon's Solar Ray can possibly do to me?"  
  
I gulped. But I didn't back down either.  
  
"It doesn't matter. The only way you get Lou is by going through us. Digidestined don't go down easy."  
  
He laughed. He actually laughed at us.  
  
"I have tested my mettle against Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode and you think you can stop me?"  
  
Behind me Steve and Frigimon were getting into position, as were Phil and FlareRizamon.  
  
"Anything is possible."  
  
To my surprise, the knight nodded.  
  
"Anything _is_ possible. You amuse me. You have two options. One, you can bring me the boy Lou…"  
  
"Or…"  
  
His voice lowered and took on certain qualities of steel.  
  
"I will be required to search him out myself."  
  
I hung my head, and dropped the brave front.  
  
"C-Can we have some time to think?"  
  
ChaosGallantmon shrugged.  
  
"You may have another hour. Keep in mind that you are but a means to an end. I will find the boy either way."  
  
We walked back into the trees, and gathered in a circle. I looked around.  
  
"Can either of you think of a way out of this?"  
  
Steve shook his head.  
  
"The guy's right. If we don't get Lou, he'll hear eventually that this guy is looking for him specifically. Then Lou will go looking for him, Tortomon or no Tortomon."  
  
Phil nodded.  
  
"I get the feeling that this guy doesn't care one way or another about us _or_ the police getting in his way. The army probably wouldn't make much difference either."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"You guys go get Lou. I'll try to get more information out of him. If Centaurumon shoots his Solar Ray up wards then take him and run.  
  
They nodded and set off. I turned back to the clearing. He looked down at me.  
  
"I…"  
  
He cut me off gesturing at the dragon as he spoke.  
  
"Grani here has excellent sensory capacity. He has relayed your conversation."  
  
_Oh…_  
  
"Well, then, you know I'm going to try to get more information out of you. What do you want with Lou."  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"I wish to perform an… experiment."  
  
I frowned.  
  
_Getting information out of this guy is like trying to get water out of a rock._  
  
"That doesn't sound very nice."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Perhaps that was a poor choice of words. I simply wish to see if something I can do will work."  
  
"And what will happen to Lou?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"I am… uncertain."  
  
I growled at him, and he looked at me strangely before chuckling a little.  
  
"I do not believe that this will in any way hurt the boy if that is what you suspect."  
  
"'Do not believe'?! What kind of reassurance is that?"  
  
"The best I can give."  
  
Lou entered the clearing then, looking up at the dark knight.  
  
"I am told you wanted to see me."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Did you bring your digivice? It would be a shame to waste more time by sending you back for it now."  
  
Lou nodded and pulled it out of his pocket.  
  
"I take it everywhere. Since… then… I cannot be bare to part with it…"  
  
ChaosGallantmon nodded.  
  
"Hold it up, boy, let me see it."  
  
Lou did as asked, no fear in his voice or expression.  
  
"Is this fine?"  
  
"It's good enough. This will be… difficult for you. I need you to concentrate on your partner."  
  
Lou's face broke a little then, but he was obviously doing as asked. ChaosGallantmon raised his hand, pointing his palm at Lou.  
  
"CRYSTAL MATRIX!"  
  
A red light exploded out of his palm, engulfing Lou. Nothing happened at first, but then Lou's digivice started beeping, and it released its own light, cutting through the red, back to ChaosGallantmon's palm. Then data began pouring out of ChaosGallant's palm, spiraling around an invisible rod, pushing the light from Lou's digivice back, bringing a spiral of data into existence between the two lights, holding them off from each other. It looked like a double helix, like a strand of DNA.  
  
"Concentrate boy!"  
  
Lou's face twisted in effort, and the beam from his digivice grew brighter, and the data began to compress. The data compressed until it was hard to make out anything other than an oblong shape, which glowed suddenly and dropped out of the lights, which vanished. Both ChaosGallantmon and Lou fell to their knees, and we ran forward to support Lou. Seeing the boys had him well in hand, I stalked over to ChaosGallantmon, who was attempting to catch his breath.  
  
"Okay, what was all this about?! Surely you can say now that it's over!"  
  
He didn't say anything in response, only pointed to the oblong object that dropped out of the lights. I walked over to it, and cleared the grass off of it, revealing a digi-egg.  
  
_What in the…_  
  
There was a beeping from behind me. I turned to see Lou, grinning from ear to ear. I looked back down.  
  
_Tortomon's…_  
  
I ran back over to ChaosGallantmon, who was now standing on top of his dragon.  
  
"Why didn't you just tell us what you were doing?!"  
  
He looked down at me for a moment.  
  
"Hope is a wonderful thing to have, but terrible when shattered. If this had not gone well, it is likely Tortomon's data would have been permanently lost or damaged beyond recovery."  
  
"Oh…"  
  
"Now, if you will excuse me, I must rest, as should your friend. Resurrection is taxing on the body and mind."  
  
Lou walked over then, carrying the egg like, well, a baby.  
  
"Thank you…"  
  
He grunted.  
  
"Your thanks are not necessary."  
  
Lou smiled.  
  
"But I wish to give them anyways."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Then you are welcome, for what it is worth. This was a large risk. I must go."  
  
Lou nodded.  
  
The knight and his dragon flew off, and exploded into the night sky as a cloud of green data. I looked back at Lou.  
  
"Why weren't you afraid of him?"  
  
Lou shrugged, and turned to look at me.  
  
"He wasn't intending to hurt me, no matter what you may have assumed. I could see it in his eyes, couldn't you?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No, _I_ was freaked out. That guy was a virus type! And a mega! What would you do in my situation?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"I wasn't in your situation."  
  
He paused and then continued.  
  
"But in either case I cannot make an accurate judgment. He was right, I am too tired to consider things in their proper context."  
  
_Great… just what I need. Lou being cryptic again._  
  
I smiled then. Lou had Tortomon back, and the team was almost all together again. Michael would never be back, but I wasn't too unhappy about that. He'd been scum in my eyes since he'd cheated on Mimi.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I watched with concern as Mimi's eyes grew wide again while she was on the phone. There were so many times that I just wanted to rush over and hold her the way I had on the bridge, but it just never seemed like the right time.  
  
_I just hope nothing hurts her like that again…_  
  
But, I calmed down as her mouth broke into a wide, Cheshire cat grin.  
  
"You've got to be kidding! He did what? That's incredible! Ooh, you don't know how happy that makes me; I'm practically jumping off the walls over here!"  
  
She was telling the truth, she was bouncing up and down on her stool like a five year old on a sugar rush.  
  
"Okay, I can understand Maria, go off and party, you've got reason too! I'll call in a few days."  
  
She hung up.  
  
"YES!"  
  
I got up and approached her.  
  
"It's certainly _good_ news then, if it's got you cheered up after what just happened with Michael…"  
  
She shot me a quick frown.  
  
"Ugh. I don't want to think about that freak ever again."  
  
My eyes widened. This was certainly a turn around.  
  
_For the past week she's been blaming herself for what happened, now this?_  
  
"Okay, forget Michael. What happened Mimi?"  
  
The grin came back, and if the space hadn't been so limited I'm sure she would have cart wheeled over to me instead of the hopping routine she _did_ do.  
  
_Okay, she's really had a turn around._  
  
"ChaosGallantmon showed up in Central Park and revived Tortomon!"  
  
"W-WHAT! This is… unheard of… another digimon reviving another? It shouldn't be possible… I mean…"  
  
I spluttering in my haste to complete thoughts coming so fast they weren't letting the others finish. Mimi grabbed me and kissed me full on the lips to shut me up. Despite my body's protests I broke the kiss after a second. She grinned at me.  
  
"Isn't it great!"  
  
"Y-Yeah…"  
  
I went and sat back down then. Despite the fact that what ChaosGallantmon had done should have been impossible, I found it impossible for _me_ to concentrate on anything other than that kiss. 


	30. Mechanical Nightmare

Chapter 28 - Mechanical Nightmare  
  
"That's, um, wow. Heh heh. Big, big trouble…"  
  
I put down my binoculars and thought for a moment.  
  
_*I told you…*  
  
*You sure that's what's holding Azulongmon and the other sovereigns back?*  
  
*As I said before, I'm quite sure about it*  
  
*Yeah, yeah… kinda unbelievable though…*  
  
*Agreed.*  
  
*Any idea what happened to Elecmon?*  
  
*No. He's either dead, captured of loose in the area.*  
  
*That narrows it down.*  
  
*Oh, shut up…*  
  
*Well?*  
  
*I'm thinking Grani. I'm guessing that jumping directly into the shaft of light isn't the brightest move.*  
  
*Yes. Not unless you want to become a part of the barrier or be thrown to where the sovereigns are. I'm not sure which…*  
  
*…But either is bad. Well, let's be realistic. There's no way I can do this alone.*  
  
*You sure Takatomon?*  
  
*Yeah BlackGuilmon, I'm sure. ChaosGallantmon is strong enough to take any one of them, maybe even up to three of them, but not all of them…*  
  
*Takatomon! Agumon is coming!*  
  
*Damn. Grani, go!*  
  
*Where?*  
  
*Anywhere!*_  
  
I got the mental equivalent of a sigh, and he shimmered out. And not a moment too soon, because then Tai crested the ridge. I waved him over, motioning for him to be quiet.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
He frowned.  
  
"Looking for you, you've been gone for a week, and you finally have school on Monday."  
  
"Well, today is Saturday, so I've still got tomorrow to handle this."  
  
"Handle what?"  
  
I just pointed down at the large steel structure and handed him the binoculars.  
  
"What the… That's not good. And this close to Primary Village too…"  
  
"That _is_ Primary Village Tai!"  
  
"Crap."  
  
"You think?"  
  
I sighed and looked back down at Primary Village. Or what was left of it.  
  
It was no longer a small space with eggs and soft colored blocks. Instead there were the steel walls of a fortress and at least ten Machinedramon manning the walls. There was also a shaft of pink light being emitted from the roof. From what Grani had said it was a machine making that light from the data naturally condensing over there that was holding Azulongmon and the other sovereigns back. They had only been able to push open a hole in the barrier big enough for him.  
  
He sighed. He pulled out his D-Terminal and sent an e-mail. He waited a moment, then nodded.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"They're coming. I told them to give Primary Village a wide berth."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Who all is out here?"  
  
"Just me and the younger kids, unfortunately. Even worse, only Ken and Kari are close enough for us to wait on. That thing has to be torn down. Now. I'd love to call Matt, but he'd never make it in time."  
  
I nodded. We didn't have to wait long for Kari and Ken, and they were just as shocked about the situation as we were. Tai grimaced.  
  
"The only advantage we'll have is surprise, so we'll have to make it count. Let's go."  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Agumon Warp Digivolve to… WarGreymon!  
  
Wormmon Digivolve to… Stingmon!  
  
Gatomon Digivolve to… Angewomon!  
  
BlackGuilmon Flash Digivolve to… BlackWarGrowlmon!**  
  
Then, like the fools we probably were, we charged over the ridge like idiots.  
  
_This will not go well…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was a loud roaring noise that sounded a lot like some gigantic hell-beast howling at the moon as I cut through the trail in the forest.  
  
_Sovereigns, I love that sound._  
  
The sound was coming from my trusty motorcycle, Behemoth, as we tore down the forest trail. All of the smart digimon got out of my way as I rode. The ones who weren't so smart, well…  
  
I had a hard time dodging them.  
  
But dodge them I did. Time was I wouldn't have bothered. Time was I would have actually aimed for them.  
  
But two things changed all that.  
  
One was my death. Being a part of someone else's data wasn't fun. Even if I wasn't able to remember it, the thought gave me the willies. Not fun.  
  
The other thing was _him_.  
  
Takato had changed everything, even before I had come here. He had believed in me. He had to have, otherwise he wouldn't have given me a second chance.  
  
I have to admit that for a while, I felt a certain amount of resentment. I don't like to owe anything to anybody. No exceptions. It got bad when I ran away. For a long time I blamed him. Like somehow he would know exactly what would happen if he brought me back. When I first sensed him, I panicked. For an instant, no matter how small, I was sure he was there to finish me off.  
  
When Puppetmon made me attack him, part of me didn't want to resist. Wanted to use the excuse to go for his throat. Wanted to pay him back for a thousand injustices. But it was in that first fight between us, when he was biomerged that I realized my mistake. I saw the pain in his eyes as he looked at me. I finally knew why, as we traded blows there, he had brought me back.  
  
He wanted me to have what he could not.  
  
I remembered how the other tamers had all reacted to the very sound of his name. How I had teased Jeri by sneaking up on her and saying it when Leomon wasn't around to shield her.  
  
Takato and BlackGuilmon had been forced to leave everything behind the way I had, and had still found the compassion to try to save a lost soul.  
  
A sobering experience, to say the least.  
  
I screeched to a halt on a hill top.  
  
_Pineapple head…_  
  
I could sense his data in the distance, along with more of the Digidestined digimon. And a lot of other high density data clusters too.  
  
I swore under my breath and kicked Behemoth back into gear. That was a tremendous amount of data, even in the digital world.  
  
_That boy's gotten himself into trouble again._  
  
Then a though came to me and I grinned.  
  
_Innocent digimon might be off the deleting and loading list, but the others are fair game…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I cried silently as I cradled Wormmon in my arms. This had all gone horribly wrong. I had gotten separated from the others, not that it was that hard given the strength of the foe, but still. I hadn't taken long for the two Machinedramon in front of me to make short work of Stingmon.  
  
Stingmon had actually been doing okay against just one, being so fast that not even the mega could land a hit, and doing a lot of damage in countless minor scores himself. But then a second one had come, and that was it.  
  
"Sorry Wormmon. For a lot of things."  
  
The damaged Machinedramon charged his cannons in preparation to strike, when a loud roar echoed through the air. Both Machinedramon looked up. The damaged one turned suddenly and tried to run, but was too slow. I was too shocked for even coherent thoughts as a large motorcycle slammed down through its torso, deleting him. I recognized the digimon on top.  
  
_Beezlemon…_  
  
Beezlemon calmly loaded the data of the fallen Machinedramon while surveying the other carefully. The two stared at each other like and old west showdown.  
  
"GIGA-"  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
While Machinedramon had to wait a second for his cannons to charge, Beezlemon just snapped his hands down to his holsters and his guns came up blazing. Machinedramon looked something like a cheese sculpture before disintegrating. Beezlemon calmly got off his bike and strolled over into the cloud, pulling the data in, like this was something he did everyday. I suppressed a shudder as he looked back at me.  
  
"Where'd the others go?"  
  
I pointed.  
  
"Inside…"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Stay out here and try to get some more help."  
  
He snapped his fingers then, and addressed the motorcycle.  
  
"Behemoth! Guard them!"  
  
The bike revved up, sounding like some cross between a growl and a roar, and swerved over and positioned itself between the fortress and us. I smiled half heartedly, which was pretty good given the repeated heart attacks I had just received, and got out my D-Terminal to determine where Davis and the others were.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked down at the sheet in front of me blankly. This was a test, but I couldn't concentrate.  
  
_Not that I studied for it anyways…_  
  
The others would find that shocking to say the least. 'Old Reliable' Joe Kido, failing a test. Not studying for a test.  
  
_The thing I think they'd find the most strange is that I'm not panicking right now._  
  
Which was true. I wasn't panicking. But that was because I was barely even aware of where I was. The only reason I was in the room was habit. I glanced over to the right and slightly behind me at the empty seat.  
  
_The one Carmela used to be in…_  
  
That threw me even lower. Carmela hadn't even been to class since that day. I'd gone to her apartment, only to find it empty. My world was slowly caving in around my ears and I didn't have any idea of how to stop it.  
  
I gave up even pretending to take the test then. I couldn't even pretend to know what it was on, much less know the information in my current emotional state. I think I fell asleep then. All I know is that the next thing I remember is the teacher waking me up. Thankfully all of the other students had left already.  
  
"Joe, is there something wrong?"  
  
I sighed and glanced around, once more lingering on Carmela's desk.  
  
"Nothing I can put into words, sir."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Try to snap out of it Joe…"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
I bowed and left the room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Angewoman was down, and WarGreymon and BlackWarGrowlmon were tiring. I looked over at Takato, who was sweating almost as much as his digimon, but refocused on the current task at hand, eliminating the last three Machinedramon. Kari was behind us with an unconscious Gatomon, checking her D-Terminal.  
  
"Guys! Ken's okay! He was saved by-"  
  
"Beezlemon!"  
  
She looked up, as I did at the sound of Takato's voice. In the doorway, his tail waving lazily, guns in his hands, was Beezlemon. He grinned.  
  
"Thought this was your fault Takato."  
  
"Oh shut up. BlackWarGrowlmon…"  
  
"RADIATION EDGE!"  
  
"DARKNESS CLAW!"  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon's attack held the Machinedramon in place while Beezlemon's destroyed it. BlackWarGrowlmon sank to one knee, panting.  
  
_That leaves just tw…_  
  
"TERRA DESTROYER!"  
  
_Make that one more._  
  
Unfortunately, this drained the last of Wargreymon's stamina, and he dedigivolved all the way back to Koromon.  
  
"Sorry, Tai…"  
  
I smiled down at the bundle in my arms.  
  
"You did fine buddy. You did just fine."  
  
The last Machinedramon looked around carefully.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Recharge Activate!**  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon grinned then, and straightened back to his full height. Takato nodded to Beezlemon and the two digimon began closing on the mega. Then it grinned.  
  
"GIGA CANNON!"  
  
The floor underneath the two buckled and cracked, spilling down into the room below. Amazingly, BlackWarGrowlmon recovered using his jets. Takato and I ran for the hole, looking down.  
  
About twenty feet down from us Beezlemon hung on to a bent pipe, overlooking a pool of condensing data, being actively sucked into the 'beam machine'. He looked up at us, his three red eyes, fairly annoyed.  
  
"Well, this sucks…"  
  
Takato looked up and over at his digimon, to call him to Beezlemon's rescue, but BlackWarGrowlmon was too busy defending us from the last Machinedramon to help.  
  
_Ken's outside, Gatomon's unconscious, and Koromon couldn't make it to rookie if he tried right now…_  
  
Beezlemon spoke again, calling Takato's attention back to where he was. The pipe he was holding on to began to crack.  
  
"Well, it's been fun Takato."  
  
Tears formed in Takato's eyes as he looked down into the hole.  
  
"Damn it Beezlemon! You're not gonna die!"  
  
The pipe bent some more, the crack growing wider. Beezlemon grinned.  
  
"Aw, is Takato gettin' all choked up? Seriously though. Takato… thanks for giving me a chance."  
  
And then the pipe snapped completely, sending him down into the data stream, where instead of him loading the data, it loaded him.  
  
Takato screamed. 


	31. Elsewhere

Chapter 29 - Elsewhere  
  
I sighed and looked furiously down at my textbook.  
  
_I'll never get all this memorized before tomorrow…_  
  
Grumbling a bit under my breath, I reread the passage in the book, trying to figure out everything it might mean. It wasn't the most interesting subject, but I needed to take it. Then the lights flickered on and off, and I looked towards the door.  
  
My mother stood in the doorway; hand on the light-switch, and a kindly smile on her face.  
  
"Okay sweetie, time for bed."  
  
"But, Mom, I'm not done studying yet."  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Carmela, honestly, you know enough to pass the test, why are you so worried about it?"  
  
_Why was I so worried about it? That's easy. I don't have anything else._  
  
But Momma wouldn't understand that.  
  
_A small white lie is in order I think…_  
  
"Mooom. I _have_ to do well on this test. It's too important not to!"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"But you say that about _every_ test!"  
  
_Maybe I need to work on those excuses a bit in the future. Nothing I can do now._  
  
"And they're _all_ important!"  
  
"Just go to bed. They can't all be as important as you're making out."  
  
I slammed the book closed.  
  
"Fine. When does Dad get home anyways?"  
  
"In a couple of days, he's on that business trip, remember?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
_I hope dad gets home soon…_  
  
Later that night, my room door crashed open, the lights flashing on. My mom came in wearing a nightgown.  
  
"Carmela, get up, get up!"  
  
"Wha…? What's going on?"  
  
"No time to explain dear. Just get up. Throw something on. We need to leave. Now."  
  
Scared out of my mind by my Mother's panic, I ran to get dressed. I grabbed an old coat and put it on, running out into the hallway, Momma with a robe over her nightgown.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
She grabbed my hand almost painfully, and half dragged, half led me out of the apartment and into the hallway. There we stopped suddenly, and I crashed into her back. I peeked around her, and gasped. There were two ghost-like things in front of us. They looked at us, and we at them. Then they spoke, an eerie, haunting sound.  
  
"You two are coming with us. Lord Myotismon wants everybody gathered in one place."  
  
Momma backed up, pressing me back into the apartment.  
  
"No. I won't let you take her. I'll go just leave my daughter."  
  
The two laughed.  
  
"Oh, is the lady worried about her little girl? Well listen up toots. You're both coming and that's final!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
Momma pushed herself out into the hallway and into the two ghosts, slamming them against the far wall.  
  
"RUN CARMELA!"  
  
I didn't need to be told twice. I ran. I ran until I heard the scream. Then I turned around. And froze.  
  
"GHOST CHOP!"  
  
I watched Momma's robe from behind. I watched as a red patch grew. I watched as she slumped lifelessly to the floor.  
  
"MOMMA!!"  
  
And then I woke up gasping for breath. I ran to the bathroom and collapsed over the sink, crying.  
  
Why Momma?  
  
Why Joe?  
  
Why?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I nodded down at the D-Terminal. I had received a message from Tai, and now Ken. We had to move faster. I looked down at Armadillomon.  
  
"We need to go Armadillomon. You should digivolve. Your ultimate level would probably be fas…"  
  
"NO! I won't do it!"  
  
_Armadillomon?_  
  
I squatted down on the desert floor with Armadillomon.  
  
"Look, Armadillomon, you've got to get past this."  
  
"But…"  
  
I sighed.  
  
_Sorry Armadillomon, but this has to be done._  
  
"I don't care. So you were MetalSeadramon, oh well, life goes on. Even if you do digivolve into MetalSeadramon again, it doesn't matter because you'll still be you."  
  
He looked up at me, eyes watering.  
  
"You don't understand Cody, I _can't_ be MetalSeadramon again, I just _can't_. You think I haven't thought about it? Besides, how do you know I'll still be 'me'? How do we know that this is the real me now?"  
  
"Armadillomon…"  
  
"Seriously, how? How do we know that the moment I digivolve back into MetalSeadramon I won't be exactly that same way again? How… How do we know I can be trusted…?"  
  
He looked up at me with big, bright watery eyes.  
  
"How do we know I can still be trusted not to KILL you?!"  
  
He burst into tears with that. He collapsed into the soft sand and covered his head.  
  
"Armadillomon…"  
  
I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. I sat down all the way now, and pulled him into my lap, ignoring the weight. I stroked his shell in a comforting gesture as I started talking again.  
  
"Armadillomon, there isn't any real way to know what will happen in the future. But you can't just sit in one place and do nothing."  
  
"I know, Cody, but I'm still scared. Scared of going insane again, scared of being deleted again. But most of all, I'm scared I'll lose you, be it to an enemy, or worse, at my own hand…"  
  
"Armadillomon, I don't have all the answers. But I do know this. You would _never_ hurt me. You don't have it in you.  
  
"You were talking about how you aren't sure if the 'you' who's here now is the real 'you'? Did you ever consider this? What if who you were then wasn't the real 'you'? I mean, think about it. What was happening back then?  
  
"Apocalymon.  
  
"He wanted out, right? So what if he was manipulating both sides? What if he pitted both sides against each other in order to escape and delete everything?"  
  
Armadillomon looked up with wide eyes. I kept going.  
  
"Maybe the way you are now was the way you were 'meant' to be. But in the end, it still doesn't matter, because you aren't him anymore. You're my friend. That's all that matters."  
  
Armadillomon managed a smile then. It was shaky, but it was genuine.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
"Cody, I… I still don't want you to tell the others about me. You're fine with it, but the others… I…I hurt them…"  
  
I nodded slowly.  
  
"If that's what you want to do then that's okay with me. I just want you to be happy."  
  
His smile smoothed and he wiped his eyes with his claws, being careful not to poke them. His smile turned into a full-fledged grin.  
  
"What are we waiting for then?"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Armadillomon digivolve to… Anklyomon!  
  
Anklyomon digivolve to… Scorpiomon!**  
  
"Climb aboard partner! Let's go find out if this one's a fake too!"  
  
I got on, and he soared off towards primary village, to where our friends awaited help.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I walked slowly through the hallways. I had been doing this for a while now, ever since I got out of class. I was trying not to think, and mindless activities are good for that. But it could only really take my mind off my circumstances for so long. I stopped suddenly, slamming my hand against the wall.  
  
As I rubbed it, my mind started working again.  
  
_What am I going to do?_  
  
I wasn't thinking clearly, and I knew it. Carmela's leaving was affecting me more than I could really handle at the moment.  
  
_Was I really that hung up on her?_  
  
My aimless wandering continued, only interrupted by a beeping noise. I took out my D-Terminal and opened it. It was reminding me that I needed to get to my next class, one that was on the other side of the building from where I was now.  
  
Which made my wandering take purposed direction, going towards the classroom.  
  
It also reminded me that it was the first class I had ever seen Carmela in.  
  
Which made me stop.  
  
I sat down on the floor and leaned my head back against the walls.  
  
_Carmela…_  
  
I stopped for a moment to contemplate my situation, and have a silent dialogue.  
  
_I'm going to be late for class.  
  
Carmela's gone.  
  
Am I really that interested in going to class?  
  
Carmela won't be there.  
  
Do I care that I'm missing class?  
  
Carmela's not coming back…_  
  
I started crying again.  
  
_Why does she hate me?  
  
She hates digimon.  
  
But why?  
  
I don't know… Does it matter?  
  
I suppose not.  
  
I'm not sure how someone could hate Gomamon.  
  
She doesn't know Gomamon.  
  
She could get to know Gomamon.  
  
She doesn't _want_ to get to know Gomamon. I don't know where she is to even attempt it anyways._  
  
I cried for a good long time in that hallway. I'm just glad no one passed through. After a good ten minutes though, I wiped my eyes and got unsteadily to my feet.  
  
I started wandering again. I just walked, not really trying to run or escape or hide, I knew that was impossible. I did finally stop though, and go through a set of doors, right into the registrar's office. The lady behind the counter was friendly enough, but I really didn't notice.  
  
"May I help you Mr…?"  
  
"Kido. Joe Kido."  
  
She typed in some information and then looked back up, smiling perfunctorily.  
  
"What may I help you with Mr. Kido?"  
  
"I need to drop my classes…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I yawned and went out to get the mail. Today had been fairly boring as far as days went, and hopefully the mail would alleviate some of the boredom.  
  
_Let's see…  
  
Bill…  
  
Bill…  
  
Credit Card Application…  
  
Dearest Sora…  
  
You may have already won…  
  
Wait a sec, hold up. Dearest Sora?_  
  
I looked down at the letter in my hands. Someone *cough*Tai*cough* was obviously sending me love letters.  
  
_That's sooo sweet!_  
  
Boredom successfully fought off, I almost pranced into the house holding the letter like a precious piece of glass. I sat down at the kitchen table and began to read.  
  
_My dearest one,  
  
I pray with all my heart and soul that this insignificant offering of my love to you finds you in good health and pleasant mood.  
  
My love for you soars higher than the heavens, and is deeper than the ocean blue. It burns brighter than the stars themselves and is stronger than eternal atlas.  
  
Looking upon your soft tresses brings to mind sunsets during which we could walk barefoot along the beach, arm in arm. Your eyes are rich pools of brown; more luscious than the sweetest chocolates I could feed you off a silver tray._  
  
Tai's letter continued to be an embarrassing attempt at romantic style, making several references to the works of people like Shakespeare and Barry White, something that, ironically enough, made it all the sweeter, because he was trying. It was embarrassing, and some of it was pretty bad, but he was trying.  
  
Eventually, however, he got to the point.  
  
_My dearest Sora, you are my only reason for being, and nothing could please me more than to please you, and nothing could make this, my one task in life, easier, than for you to accept my humble invitation to dwell within my comfortable and cozy abode.  
  
My love, life, and soul are yours,  
  
Taichi Kamiya_  
  
Reading the end, I sighed in contentment, despair, and confusion; more or less in that order. Contentment came first. The fact that he was perfectly willing to embarrass himself so blatantly for me was perhaps the surest sign of his love I had. Despair came next. Tai really needed someone to take him aside and smack some sense into him.  
  
_Or at least teach him to write a decent love letter…_  
  
Confusion came last, and to my dismay, was the most abundant. I was not at all sure how I was going to thwart Tai's latest attempt to move me in with him. I sighed again.  
  
_It's not that living with Tai isn't appealing…_  
  
The truth of the matter was that Mom wasn't doing so well, and this time, probably wasn't going to come out of it. I hadn't wanted to tell the others, they certainly had enough of their own problems, but I might have to tell Tai.  
  
_I just can't leave Mom. Not now and not like this._  
  
I stared at the ceiling for a while, and then reread the letter. Telling him the truth seemed like the only good option at this point. He'd worry too much about me, but it was better than him worrying about our relationship. 


	32. Bestial Nightmare

Chapter 30 - Bestial Nightmare  
  
I gasped as Takato's scream died out. The look on his and BlackWarGrowlmon's faces were almost identical to the look BlackGuilmon had worn when he fought IceDevimon. Feral, instinctive, berserk.  
  
Making a hasty decision I grabbed Gatomon and ran to Tai. Takato screamed again, and this time, BlackWarGrowlmon screamed with him.  
  
They crossed their arms as one. Takato started, BlackWarGrowlmon finished.  
  
"ATOMIC…"  
  
"…DESTROYER!"  
  
The last Machinedramon died in a black fire, as the walls came tumbling down. I sobbed quietly.  
  
_I… I guess I never really considered that we could die doing this…_  
  
Behind the walls stood twenty more Machinedramon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
This is a dark, oppressive place.  
  
This is the Dark Ocean.  
  
But with in this place of absolute despair, one creature found joy. SkullSatamon laughed long and hard. After so long, now his dreams would finally be fulfilled.  
  
_The facility will likely be destroyed, as the other Digidestined approach, but not only will they get there too late to save three of the pests that have constantly thwarted my plans, they are too late to stop the final phase of the plan!_  
  
SkullSatamon laughed some more as he surveyed the tube that was collecting data. The Sovereigns would have detected the evil growing within the tube under most circumstances, but now they could not, locked away in the Digital Holy Land as they were. And with the project as far along as it was, even if they were freed this instant, by the time the barrier wore off it would be too late.  
  
His creation was nearly completed.  
  
Then he stopped laughing and stalked over to the pool he was using to spy on the realms. Something, a shift in the pattern of the air perhaps, told him that all was not right with his plans.  
  
Then, halfway there, he stopped.  
  
He realized what was wrong.  
  
The cage he was using to contain the small creature he had captured had burst open.  
  
The creature, which he had been planning to use to power the being within the tube, had escaped.  
  
He frowned at this. He had planned on the creature being his ultimate creation, even should the being within the tube fail him. He had done several experiments on the creature, not the least of which was the implantation of a new type of Dark Spore, his own creation modeled off of Millenniumon's.  
  
Now it was loose.  
  
_Regrettable…_  
  
But, he couldn't afford to concentrate on that now. He would find the creature in due time. This was _his_ domain, after all. The current project required more… immediate attention. Besides, he didn't _really_ need the strange creature for a power source. He could easily get another one. Not as efficient or as powerful, but one that would certainly fit his needs.  
  
He just hoped there was less trouble with this human than the previous he had used.  
  
He finished stalking over to the small pool of water and looked within.  
  
And his jaw dropped.  
  
_Yet another thing I did not consider…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Takato and BlackGrowlmon screamed as one once more. I shuddered as I felt it. It was a scream filled with rage and grief and loss.  
  
It was a scream of vengeance.  
  
He turned back to look at us, and I noted that BlackWarGrowlmon moved as he did. They spoke as one, letting out a single, flat word.  
  
"Run."  
  
For a single perverse instant, I wanted to laugh.  
  
_Run? Run where? We're completely surrounded._  
  
Takato and BlackWarGrowlmon turned back.  
  
The Machinedramon armed their cannons.  
  
They never got the chance to fire, as a shockwave knocked them over.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
BlackWarGrowlmon Digivolve to… BlackMegidramon!**  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Ken had better be alright…_  
  
"Faster Aquilamon!"  
  
"I'm flying as fast as I can Yolie!"  
  
I sighed.  
  
Then I spotted something on the ground.  
  
_Raidramon…_  
  
Aquilamon lowered our trajectory so that we could speak. I had to yell over the wind.  
  
"Davis, you know anything more about what's happening?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"No, I just know it's not going well. At least Beezlemon showed up when he did!"  
  
I nodded. At least Ken was safe, that was a good thing.  
  
_But what about the others?_  
  
Aquilamon landed next to where Raidramon stopped at the top of the ridge.  
  
"Whoa…"  
  
"I hate to say it Davis, but 'whoa' is right…"  
  
Down in the valley stood a giant steel fortress. There were holes in a couple of places from the fighting, but it was still impressive.  
  
_Even more impressive is the fact that no one noticed it was here…_  
  
Then, the pink shaft of light flickered and faded. I looked over at Davis.  
  
"You think they did it?"  
  
He looked back at me oddly.  
  
"Of course they did it! What else could have possibly happ-"  
  
There was a sudden booming noise, and the structure was engulfed in an explosion that ripped it apart.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I groaned and rolled over.  
  
"Gatomon?"  
  
Some rubble shifted then, and my cat-like digimon crawled out.  
  
"Here Kari. Ugh, what hit us?"  
  
I smiled, but thinking about the question made it falter and slide off my face.  
  
"Takato…"  
  
She arched an eyebrow. I shook my head.  
  
"Don't worry about it Gatomon. We just need to find them."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Okay Kari."  
  
"KARIIII!"  
  
I looked over, and my eyes brightened.  
  
"TK!"  
  
He hurried over, and looked me up and down.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, just a bit scrambled right now. We need to find Tai and Takato, they're in this mess somewhere…"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"What happened? This place looks like it was torn apart…"  
  
I shuddered a bit.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
BlackMegidramon roared in defiance at the surrounding Machinedramon. Then he dived forwards, becoming a mass of teeth and claws and flame, eliminating all who stood in his way.  
  
"DRAGON FIRE!"  
  
I threw myself to the ground covering Gatomon's body, hoping at least she would be spared.  
  
But I didn't feel anything. Not even a noticeable increase in heat.  
  
I looked up.  
  
And there, above me, towered BlackMegidramon. I scrambled up and ran back towards Tai, who enfolded me in a quick embrace as we both watched the dark dragon above us tear through mega-leveled digimon like paper.  
  
And they kept coming. More than I had thought at first. It seemed that the whole fortress was teeming with them. I looked at Takato and gasped.  
  
He was making the same motions as BlackMegidramon, moving as he would, but standing in place. They roared as one.  
  
Then Takato seemed to shake himself out of it, and pointed down through the hole.  
  
"BlackMegidramon! Destroy the machine!"  
  
BlackMegidramon complied, throwing himself down through the hole in the floor, but missing the pool that Beezlemon fell into. A burst of flame later, and the machine was destroyed.  
  
BlackMegidramon flew back up through the hole in the ground, wings beating almost gently. Then he roared again, and threw himself back into the fray.  
  
No more Machinedramon came to the other's rescue.  
  
_The machine must have been making these Machinedramon, in addition to whatever else it did…_  
  
Then Tai was dragging me out.  
  
"Come on. Let's go while the going's good!"  
  
We ran down and out, and were almost clear when the fortress began to shake, and then exploded…  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I trailed off in my explanation as I caught sight of an arm.  
  
"TK, over here, quick!"  
  
He came over and started helping me lift rubble off of the form. It was Tai, hunched protectively over Koromon.  
  
"Hey guys!"  
  
We looked up, and Tai managed to stir a bit. Yolie, Ken, Cody and Davis were here. I breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Come on. We have to find Takato."  
  
Ken looked around.  
  
"What about Beezlemon?"  
  
I blinked a little, trying to hold back tears at Beezlemon's sacrifice.  
  
"He… He didn't make it…"  
  
Ken's head lowered.  
  
"Oh no…"  
  
I nodded, and wiped my eyes a little.  
  
"Come on. Takato should be more in the center of this mess."  
  
It was almost a half hour later when we found him, curled up in a ball next to BlackJyarimon.  
  
Yolie found him first.  
  
"I found him! He's over here!"  
  
We all rushed over. Well, all but TK that is. He sort of lagged behind. I frowned and went over to him.  
  
"What's wrong TK?"  
  
He shook his head and tried to smile, but I could see right through it.  
  
"Nothing Kari."  
  
"You're lying, TK. Tell me."  
  
He shook his head again.  
  
"It's nothing, really."  
  
Then, his eyes flashed. I turned to see Davis and Ken hoisting the still unconscious Takato up so they could carry him out. I narrowed my eyes.  
  
"It's Takato isn't it?"  
  
He sighed in defeat.  
  
"Yeah it is. Happy?"  
  
I closed my eyes for a moment.  
  
"No."  
  
TK growled. I looked up in shock.  
  
"He's out of control Kari."  
  
_What?_  
  
"He's doing dangerous, stupid things, and he needs to be talked to about it."  
  
My eyes narrowed.  
  
"Were you listening to a thing I said?! Sure, it was dangerous, but he _saved_ our lives in there! If he hadn't brought out BlackMegidramon, I'd be _dead_! Is that what you want?!"  
  
TK was just angry enough to scream back.  
  
"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
My voice was low and flat. I didn't like this at all. He quieted as well, but his voice was still hard as a rock.  
  
"You heard me. You shouldn't place yourself in that kind of trouble."  
  
"It's _my_ choice TK."  
  
He growled again. He couldn't come up with a counter argument, but he was still angry. I acted on my first instinct. I slapped him. Hard. The sound echoed through the immediate area.  
  
"I'm not your possession TK. But if you can't understand that, then I guess we're through."  
  
Shocked silence. Everyone was staring at us. I hurried over to the group. I smiled at Ken and Davis.  
  
"Can you two get Tai and Koromon? I think Yolie and I can handle Takato here, but Tai might be a bit much."  
  
They nodded mutely and went over to get Tai, and then we left. TK stayed in the rubble for a while. Long enough I didn't see him come through the digiport anyways. But that suited me just fine.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I groaned as we exited the digiport at Tai's. At least we weren't falling on top of each other anymore. I helped Kari load Tai into his bed, then waved as we left to go back home. She was staying to make sure he was alright, probably until Sora came to relieve her. I turned to Yolie.  
  
"Let me drop you off."  
  
She smiled a bit.  
  
"No, that's okay. I should help you get Takato up to your apartment anyways."  
  
I nodded, and we got into the car. I turned to look at the unconscious passengers in the back seat.  
  
Takato didn't seem to have too many injuries, which seemed strange since he was right in the center of the blast.  
  
_The things Takato seems capable of…_  
  
I heard Yolie sigh next to me.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
She smiled a bit, but couldn't seem to manage it. She gave up.  
  
"Oh, I don't know, just that Takato was able to _do_ that. It doesn't seem… right."  
  
I grimaced.  
  
"You mean create a creature of mass destruction and pure evil?"  
  
She looked at me sharply.  
  
"You stop that Ken! I've told you over and over that is wasn't your fault! Start listening to me!"  
  
I gulped a little.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
She sighed again as I pulled into the parking lot and we exited the car. She started talking again as we brought him into the apartment.  
  
"No, it's not about BlackMegidramon. Well, not _entirely_ about that. That, I actually think I understand. They were angry. They had just seen one of their best friends get killed, and were about to be killed themselves, along with _more_ friends. That's enough to make anyone really angry at the cause. It's just what Kari said about them being… linked. That they lost control together."  
  
I frowned as we lay Takato out on the bed.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure about that Yolie."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Well, I don't think he lost control _entirely_. I mean, from what I saw, he was going after just about every thing that moved, but in Kari's story, BlackMegidramon went over top of them to get to the other Machinedramon. Not _through_ them. Almost as if…"  
  
"…He was trying to protect them…"  
  
Yolie finished for me and frowned in concentration as we exited the bedroom. She continued.  
  
"Maybe you're right. Maybe he hadn't completely lost it there. But it was still really close. I don't know. It's not even that really. It that the power at his control is… well, um…"  
  
"Frightening?"  
  
She nodded as we sat on the couch.  
  
"Yeah. That's it. Frightening. I mean, Mega levels that WarGreymon was having trouble with were _nothing_ to it."  
  
She curled up next to me and rested he head on my shoulder. She took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.  
  
"I don't think Takato would ever intentionally hurt us Yolie."  
  
"I know, I just… ugh."  
  
"You don't like feeling afraid."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
I smiled down at her, and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before pulling back.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will feel better in the morning."  
  
"You're right. I'm being silly. I should be going though, it's getting a little late."  
  
She made no move to get up though, and snuggled a little closer. We just sat like that for a while, enjoying each other's presence, and eventually, we fell asleep. 


	33. Interlude Guardian Devil

Interlude - Guardian Devil  
  
There was a sudden thudding noise from the playground, followed by a shrill scream. I looked up and spun around from where I was playing the Digimon Card Game with Doroon. I knew that scream.  
  
_AI!_  
  
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, hoping to get there before too much happened. Then I saw him.  
  
He was a big guy, had to be at least twelve to my ten. I wasn't going to let that stop me though.  
  
"Hey you! Quit picking on my sister!"  
  
I jumped and tackled him to the ground. He threw me off pretty fast. He got up and looked down at me.  
  
"Hmpf. You're pretty pathetic. Just like your sister."  
  
I got up too, but a bit slower.  
  
"I am _not_ pathetic."  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
Behind me Ai sniffed.  
  
"Impmon's gonna beat you up."  
  
The face of the goon in front of me contorted for a second, then burst out laughing.  
  
"Impmon? A digimon? HA! Digimon aren't real. All that stuff three years ago was a biological mutation from too much industrial waste, like my dad told me. Digimon. That's a laugh. You're even more pathetic than I thought."  
  
"You're the one who's pathetic."  
  
We all turned at the new voice into the conversation. It was hard, cold, arrogant, and mocking. He had wavy green hair and piercing brown eyes on a cold face. The guy was eleven, in the grade above me, but below the goon. But that didn't matter. Jamie had been practicing martial arts since before he could walk if the rumors were true. He was also one of the smartest people in his grade. He was also filthy rich.  
  
The goon turned white and began backing up before he turned and ran. I looked at the guy with barely concealed anger.  
  
"I don't need your help, _Jamie_."  
  
He snorted.  
  
"I wasn't helping you. Your sister's bawling was disrupting my concentration."  
  
Doroon came up then, looking between the two of us, feeling the tension.  
  
"Uh, Mako, you forgot your deck…"  
  
Jamie snorted. I glared at him.  
  
"What's it to you?!"  
  
Jamie used to scoff at digimon, but in the last month or so, he had been buying almost every card his money could get him. And as far as his playing skill went, he was good. He had just started, and was outstripping everyone. I glared. He just walked off. I turned back to Ai, and helped her up off the ground.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I actually smiled a little as I approached the table. I felt the goggles hit against my leg lightly as I sat down. I sighed as it brought to mind Gogglehead again. But then I calmed a little as Henry and Jeri came over and started sitting down. Jeri smiled.  
  
"How's your day been Rika?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Not that bad. My teachers aren't giving me a hard time, and no one's really bugged me yet."  
  
Henry grinned.  
  
"Or they've just learned to avoid you."  
  
I rolled my eyes. The truth was I had calmed down a lot since I'd come here. The kids here were nothing like the prissy rich girls over at my other school, and as a result they got on my nerves less.  
  
Once I'd started to relax anyways.  
  
Then the small talk started, something I was getting better at. Then I cocked my hand at a sound I couldn't quite place.  
  
"…aaaaaaAAAAAHHHHHHH!"  
  
The scream had started out so small I'd had to concentrate to hear it, but as it became more pronounced Henry and Jeri were looking around as well, and I stood up to see if that would help me pinpoint it.  
  
That turned out to be a mistake.  
  
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH- ugh"  
  
"Gah!"  
  
The screaming something hit me in the face and I fell backwards. Jeri screamed as well, though I didn't know why. Until I heard the voice and opened my eyes.  
  
"Ugh, where am I?"  
  
_Impmon…_  
  
I hadn't seen the little terror for a few months now, and he was hardly welcome now. He got off my head and stood up. I got up quickly after, staring a hole into the back of his head. He didn't seem to notice as he looked around. He spotted the trembling Jeri, then he sighed and kicked the ground.  
  
"Great. I land _here_ of all places. I was just starting to like it there too. Well, see ya."  
  
I he turned around to walk off. Right into me. He looked up, probably staring at the huge vein coming out of my forehead.  
  
"Oh no."  
  
Then he started sprinting off. I went after, like a bat out of hell. After a while of chasing him around the schoolyard, something came to me.  
  
_Why isn't he throwing fireballs at me to distract me like usual?_  
  
I brushed the thought out of my head. After all it made catching him easier.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Oh yeah, _that_ was smooth._   
Landing on Rika's head wasn't the smartest move I had ever made. I shrugged. It was her fault for being there anyways. It wasn't like I could control where I was falling.  
  
_That still doesn't change the fact that I'm being chased… wait! Over there!_  
  
I spotted a gap between the two buildings of the school and ran over to it, hoping to lose her by gaining time cutting a few quick corners. I couldn't just blast her after all. Takato wouldn't like that, after all. I considered that as I came to the corner.  
  
_Stupid morals._  
  
I rounded the corner and… stopped.  
  
_WHAT THE HELL?!!!!_  
  
There was no gap. There was only an indentation. I could actually hear the smirk behind me without turning around. I turned around, a grin plastered all over my face.  
  
"Hey, nice weather we're having…"  
  
She cracked her knuckles.  
  
"Any last requests, Imp? Or should I call Renamon and get it over with?"  
  
"Uhhh…"  
  
I looked around, eyes darting for something, anything, that could get me out of this. My eyes caught the sun glinting off of something.  
  
_His goggles?_  
  
The grin came back to my face. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice was flat.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing… I was just thinking, 'So _that's_ where his goggles went…'. Always meant to ask, but I never got around to it. Eh, maybe next time."  
  
_Bingo._  
  
Her eyes widened, her jaw went slack, and her hands dropped to her sides as she stared at me. I left while the going was good.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
About a later I was wandering the streets. Well, over the streets anyways. I doubt the humans would have liked it if I had walked where they were.  
  
_Probably would have been kicked a bunch too._   
I hopped out of the trees as I entered Shinjuku Park. No one really came around here very much, not since that kid disappeared here a few days ago.  
  
_What was the guy's name? Oh, right. Dirk. Stupid name really._  
  
I walked slowly up to the shed where Guilmon used to sleep. I was staying there now, the rock wasn't a huge inconvenience and I didn't leave garbage lying around. Seemed wrong somehow. I stopped in front of the marker and snorted.  
  
"Impmon…"  
  
My eyes widened at the voice. I spun to face the doglike Chatsuramon.  
  
"What do you want, dog breath?"  
  
He snorted.  
  
"I am sent by my master Zhuqiamon. I am asked to deliver this to you, and leave right away, so there will be no reply."  
  
His eyes narrowed.  
  
"My master dislike being used for mail, so you're lucky this even came through, Imp."  
  
I waved my hand dismissively.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Just leave it and go, eh?"  
  
He growled, but left, dropping a small package with an envelope on top and leaving. I picked up the envelope first.  
  
Dear Impmon,  
  
I'm not sure if you'll get this or not, Zhuqiamon being Zhuqiamon, but there should be a small package with this letter. Inside is something that resembles a digiegg. Load it. Relax, it's just Behemoth. It didn't want to be separated from you.  
  
I don't want to go into the details of how we escaped after that giant data stream catapulted you all the way back home, but let's just say it was pretty ugly for a while.  
  
This is a bit difficult to say on my end, so I doubt you've admitted it to yourself, but I think I'm going to miss you.  
  
But in another way I'm glad you're back there. You've seen some of the things I've had to do here, and I wonder occasionally about what happens back home, where you are now. I need you there Impmon. I need you to be there because I cannot. It's comforting for me to have someone I can trust over there, watching their_ backs.  
  
Heh. It just occurred to me that watching over people is what guardian angels do. But as we can both attest, you are no angel. A fallen angel… maybe.  
  
I'm not going to try to insist you try to patch it up with your Tamers, but please take it as a suggestion. I know you've had your difficulties with them, but try to put it into the past. If you do talk with them, be honest. That's all I ask.  
  
Impmon, I have to ask that you not tell anyone I'm still alive. I really have no intention of returning, and I don't want to raise any hopes. Assuming they don't hate me, anyway.  
  
This is a huge burden to lay on your shoulders my friend, but I'm confident you can handle it.  
  
Your friend,  
  
Takato_  
  
I looked down at the box. I grinned as I tore it open and took out my motorcycle's egg. It was red with a black circle on it. It broke easily in my grip and I felt the familiar sensation of Behemoth rejoining my data.  
  
Then I picked up the clutter.  
  
_Can't just leave this stuff lying around…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"SKULL WHIRLWIND!"  
  
The Reapermon's attack slammed into me, and I felt myself exit the biomerge, Terriermon and I joining Rika and Renamon groaning on the ground.  
  
"SERPENT FLAME!"  
  
It's leveled arm cannon spouted green flames. It would have hit us if SaberLeomon hadn't jumped in the way.  
  
"SaberLeomon!"  
  
SaberLeomon was out of it. Not quite unconscious, but certainly out of it. Reapermon didn't even bother with an attack this time, it just raised its sword arm to strike.  
  
I watched in horror as it came down…  
  
Then grinned in relief when it stopped…  
  
And gasped when I saw just who had stopped it.  
  
Beezlemon had caught the sword coming to claim SaberLeomon's data, the sword of the digimon that had made short work of Rika and myself, with little effort. He tossed the thing back, and grinned his usual cocky grin.  
  
"Not nice to swing swords at people's necks you know."  
  
It just frowned. It had a lot of strength, but apparently it was severely lacking in intelligence. Seeing no reaction, Beezlemon just shrugged.  
  
"Oh well. You're just spare data anyways. I doubt he'll care if I take _your_ data."  
  
_Huh? Who's 'he'?_  
  
The Reapermon roared, SaberLeomon completely forgotten.  
  
"SKULL WHIRLWIND!"  
  
Beezlemon jumped, avoiding Reapermon's assault, arching over top of him. With a quick flick of his wrists his guns almost seemed to fly into his hands. Still in mid-air, directly above Reapermon, he let loose.  
  
"DOUBLE IMPACT!"  
  
Reapermon detonated into excess data, while Beezlemon flipped in mid-air, landing lightly on his feet. He stopped to download the data. SaberLeomon got up.  
  
"Wh… Why are you helping us?"  
  
I couldn't tell if it was exhaustion or fear that was making SaberLeomon's voice quake, but I certainly hoped that Beezlemon thought it was the latter. Beezlemon's face grew grim.  
  
"I made a promise."  
  
He turned to leave. SaberLeomon spoke again.  
  
"I still don't trust you."  
  
Beezlemon answered without looking back.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
Rika, amazingly enough, was silent, a strange look in her eyes.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I growled at the same stupid goon picking on my sister again.  
  
"Leave her alone you jerk!"  
  
He laughed; he had friends with him this time. Behind me Ai sobbed a little.  
  
"Jamie isn't here to save you this time, Mako."  
  
I growled.  
  
"I don't _need_ his help."  
  
The goon grinned.  
  
"Well, you're gonna need _someone's_ help real soon twerp."  
  
Ai sniffed behind me.  
  
"Impmon will come. I know it…"  
  
"'Impmon' won't save you either, kid."  
  
He balled up a fist and came forward, but a fireball exploded at his feet.  
  
"BADA BOOM!"  
  
My eyes widened.  
  
_Could it be…?_  
  
The goon's eyes widened, and he backed away from the direction it had come from.  
  
"Wh… Who's th…ere?"  
  
A small black figure with a wicked smile on his face and a fireball in his hand walked out.  
  
"The name's Impmon. And _nobody_ picks on my Tamers."  
  
He tossed the other fireball, and as one, they all turned and fled. He spat in the direction they went.  
  
"Nobody."  
  
He looked over at me.  
  
"Mako, Ai, we've got a _lot_ to talk about." 


	34. Explanations

Chapter 31 - Explanations  
  
*Takato.*  
  
*zzzzzzzzzzz.*  
  
*Takato!*  
  
*zzzzzzzzzzz!*  
  
*TAKATO!"  
  
*ZZZZZZZZZZZ!*  
  
*… This isn't working.*  
  
*I told you it wouldn't. You can't wake him up this way, you need to actually be there.*  
  
*What am I supposed to do then? Wait? I don't have that kind of time!*  
  
*Yes we do.*  
  
"No… So I'm impatient. You would be too with Zhuqiamon breathing down your neck.*  
  
*We could try BlackJyarimon.*  
  
*I'm not sure he has the capacity to relay the necessary information.*  
  
*I meant that he could wake Takato up.*  
  
*Oh. BlackJyarimon!*  
  
*Takatomon digivolve to… zzzzz*  
  
*Damn it.*  
  
*Move over Azulongmon, let me try. BlackJyarimon, I've got something to eat…*  
  
*… Ha! You didn't have any luck either!*  
  
*Wait for it… 5… 4… 3… 2…*  
  
***FOOOOOOOD!***  
  
*Not so loud please.*  
  
*Huh? Grani? Where's the food?*  
  
*… Ask Takato. While you're at it, tell him Azulongmon wants to talk to him.*  
  
*Okie Dokie!*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I yawned. It had taken less effort than I had thought to get out of the house this morning, given that Ken and Yolie were asleep on the couch. I had smiled at this, then ducked back into the room to open a portal here. I focused on Azulongmon, the other sovereigns still around him.  
  
"You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes. I wanted to discuss recent events."  
  
_Oh boy, here it comes. Probably gonna throw me to the wolves or something.  
  
I wonder if the western quadrant needs someone?_  
  
"Fine."  
  
"First, we have confirmed that it was indeed Daemon who locked us away."  
  
I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Just where were you locked away?"  
  
"The Digital Holy Land. It and the Dark Ocean are opposites, sort of like digital heaven and hell. Or you could simply think of them as two more digital quadrants, as digital quadrants reflect the minds of their respective sovereigns."  
  
I thought of the barren wasteland that was the southern quadrant.  
  
"That explains a lot."  
  
Zhuqiamon narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Watch it boy."  
  
Azulongmon moved on before we could get into an argument.  
  
"Next on the agenda - Impmon."  
  
I redirected my attention.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
Azulongmon smiled encouragingly.  
  
"He's not dead Takato. The only way into the Holy Land is through four special… well, in the southern quadrant you refer to them as data streams."  
  
My mind went back to the bright pink light coming up from the fortress.  
  
"There is one in each quadrant, and by having a constant stream of data flowing through to that side through all four, he was able to keep us trapped. The excess data is being redistributed as we speak."  
  
"And Impmon…?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Back in the human world of the Southern Quadrant where he belongs."  
  
I nodded.  
  
_Well, at least he's safe…_  
  
Then I frowned.  
  
"Wait. Does that mean there's an entrance from each quadrant into the Dark Ocean too?"  
  
Azulongmon nodded.  
  
"There _were_. After Daemon came to power, we destroyed them to keep him in. He can still open small gateways, but they cost him much of his strength. Rarely can he gather enough power to open one large enough for himself."  
  
"Okay, anything else?"  
  
"Yes. Your use of BlackMegidramon."  
  
_Crap. I knew this would happen…_  
  
"You chose wisely."  
  
_Huh?_  
  
"Say what now?"  
  
Azulongmon sighed.  
  
"While BlackMegidramon _is_ a little unreliable, he was also the only way out of the situation you were in. Desperate times call for desperate measures."  
  
"Just don't make a habit of it boy."  
  
Azulongmon glared back at Zhuqiamon.  
  
"While I would not put it in quite that fashion, he is right. Try not to do it again. You were suitably provoked by the circumstances this time, but don't learn to rely on _him_."  
  
I nodded. The other Sovereigns began to drift off. I held off a hand to hold them back.  
  
"Wait. There was a strange, almost catalyst like beam that came down and digivolved Imperialdramon. What was that?"  
  
Azulongmon flickered his tail, telling the others to continue on their way.  
  
"Did you really think that the Calumon you knew was the only catalyst?"  
  
I frowned.  
  
"Well, I guess I never really thought about it. But if that's true, why do you need me?"  
  
He smiled.  
  
"As you have no doubt learned, Calumon are unreliable at best. I would prefer to depend on you than them."  
  
I nodded slowly, then turned and waved.  
  
"Well, I'd better get back to the real world now. No telling who wants to talk to me about yesterday."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Good luck."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
_I'm gonna need it._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_How the…_  
  
Beside me, Yolie gaped in shock.  
  
"Where did he go Ken?"  
  
My mind worked pretty fast.  
  
"He must have slipped out while we were asleep…"  
  
Yolie cringed.  
  
"Oh no…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"How am I going to explain that to my parents?"  
  
"Um, try to get one of the girls to cover for you. But that's not really the issue here. We have to find Takato. Fast."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Where do we look first."  
  
I frowned.  
  
"Well, the first place he'd probably go is to the digital world."  
  
Then there was a knock on the door. Yolie and I shared a look.  
  
_Oh no…_  
  
I cautiously opened the door to find every one, including a seriously tired Tai outside the door.  
  
"Um, hi everyone…"  
  
"Well, can we come in or not?"  
  
Kari shot him a venomous look and I blinked. TK was never usually this rude…  
  
_Oh right… forgot about that._  
  
"Sure…"  
  
I backed away from the doorway, letting them all pile in. There wasn't much room to move with all of them here. TK started again, his voice still harsh.  
  
"Where is he? Get him out here. We have questions and we want answers."  
  
This time Tai and Matt glared at him along with Kari. Everyone else was just shocked.  
  
I pulled nervously on the collar of my shirt.  
  
"Uh, funny you should mention that…"  
  
Davis groaned.  
  
"He left, didn't he?"  
  
I nodded sadly. Then, the door to my room opened, and Takato stepped out. He looked around, eyes widening in surprise and fright.  
  
"Uh… hi?"  
  
TK looked like he was about to blow up again, but Kari disrupted him by pushing her way through the crowd to him.  
  
"Takato? Where were you? We were worried about you! Most of us anyways…"  
  
With that last sentence she glared at TK, but quickly turned back, focusing all her attention on him, notably ignoring the fuming TK.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was something going on, I could tell. I just didn't know what. Kari's support was nice, as it was a little bit of reassurance that I wouldn't be tossed out of yet another dimension, but everyone here obviously had questions. But there was a notable absence.  
  
"Uh, I know you all probably want to ask something, and I'd like to get all this out of the way at once, so I was think maybe we should wait for Joe?"  
  
They blinked and looked around suddenly. Tai spoke up.  
  
"Where _is_ Joe anyways?"  
  
TK butted in.  
  
"We can tell him later. Start talking Takato."  
  
My turn to blink. I thought back to how Kari glared at him.  
  
_What happened while I was out of it?_  
  
"Well, I guess I was thinking you could ask a question. I'm not really sure where to begin."  
  
Tai stepped in before TK could be any more offensive.  
  
"I guess the biggest question I have is what _was_ that back there? It's no ordinary digimon."  
  
"You mean BlackMegidramon."  
  
He nodded, and I sighed.  
  
"All of the forms of BlackGuilmon are abnormally powerful. Tai, I'm sure you remember me saying once that most southern quadrant digimon are more powerful than the ones here. For most of them, it's because they load data, but BlackGuilmon is different even from them. I can't go into exactly how…"  
  
"Figures…"  
  
I ignored TK's comment, as did everyone else, except for a few more sharp looks from people and digimon alike. Even Patamon was starting to look appalled.  
  
"…but I guess I can tell you about how BlackMegidramon came to be. The funny thing is, that both times now have been because of Beezlemon, but for the opposite reasons. The first time, back then, Beezlemon deleted and loaded my friend Jeri's digimon, Leomon.  
  
"I got so angry then, that I just lost control. And eventually, I just ended up creating Megidramon. Megidramon deleted and loaded Beezlemon pretty easily. After that, when things had calmed down, Jeri started screaming at me to go. After a while I just ended up in the Dark Ocean."  
  
Tai nodded slowly, TK was just silent at this point.  
  
"That's fine. For now. I just want to make sure it won't happen again."  
  
I looked him right in the eye.  
  
"Not without suitable reason or provocation."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Well, that's good enough."  
  
Kari spoke up from where she still was at my side. It was getting a bit disturbing.  
  
"So, where were you just now?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Going over some things with Azulongmon. It's okay."  
  
Tai cleared his throat.  
  
"Okay. Now that this is over with, I suggest we go looking for Joe. We called for every one, and if he isn't here by now something's wrong. Split up, but keep on your toes."  
  
We nodded, and I was grateful to get out from under TK's glares. Cody dragged him off, and I ended up getting dragged off by Kari.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Um, Tai? I really don't think we'll find Joe around here…"  
  
I blinked and looked around.  
  
_Oops. Was so wrapped up in my thoughts I hadn't realized where I was going…_  
  
Most of my thoughts were actually on my letter to Sora.  
  
"Sorry. Wasn't paying too much attention to where we were going, heh heh…"  
  
Matt and Izzy just shared a look. I grumbled a bit about it, but silently agreed. This wasn't a place Joe was likely to frequent. This was the seedier side of Odaiba, and Joe tended to steer clear of places like this. I nodded to them, and we started heading out. A slight groan from outside a bar caught my attention and I glanced over for half a second as I was walking.  
  
_Huh. That guy kind of looks like Joe…_  
  
It was a few seconds before it hit me.  
  
"GUYS!"  
  
They turned, and I motioned for them to follow me as I rushed back towards the alley. In it lay Joe, unconscious, unshaven, and from the smell of it had gone to the bathroom in his pants. We just looked at each other.  
  
_What the hell is going on here?_  
  
We silently helped Joe up, Matt and I supported him moving out of the alley while Izzy ran for the car. Within a minute or two we were driving back to Joe's apartment. Izzy spoke.  
  
"What do you guys think…"  
  
Matt interrupted, shaking his head.  
  
"Let's wait for him to tell us. He'd better have a hell of a reason though…"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'm e-mailing the others. I'm just going to tell them that we found him, not to worry and we're taking him home."  
  
A round of nods was all I received. The rest of the drive was silent. When we reached the place, we pulled out his key and opened the door, laying him down on a couch. We just sat there for a while. Then Izzy sighed.  
  
"I… I know this really isn't the time or place, but I was wondering if I could get some advice…"  
  
Matt and I perked up.  
  
"This isn't really the time or place for _anything_, but we need to do something before we go crazy here. Go on."  
  
Izzy looked at me, and I nodded.  
  
"Well, it's about Mimi…"  
  
Matt and I shared a look. Slightly amused this time.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah… I keep having these weird thoughts around her, and I don't know what to do. I mean, I like her, but what if she doesn't like me back? And then there's the whole thing with Michael… I just don't know if it's the right time…"  
  
"THE RIGHT TIME?! THE RIGHT TIME?! IT'S NEVER THE RIGHT TIME! JUST TELL HER BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! BEFORE-before… she leaves you for good… over some stupid misunderstanding…"  
  
This was followed by sobbing.  
  
We gaped. Joe was now both conscious and crying. We just looked at each other for a long moment, then I moved to get a bucket or something for Joe to puke in. 


	35. Distress

Chapter 32 - Distress  
  
"And you just left him there?! Are you crazy?!"  
  
Tai sighed and looked over at me, standing as he lay down on the couch. He looked tired.  
  
"Well, after he ranted at Izzy for a while, we went to try and talk to him about it, but then he just got mean; started throwing things and telling us to 'get the hell out'. That we didn't know anything. So what could we do? We left. Gomamon promised to take as much care of him as he could though."  
  
I sat down on a chair and looked over at him.  
  
"He was that bad?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"If he doesn't talk to somebody soon, we're holding an intervention. We can't just let him throw his life away like this."  
  
I frowned a little.  
  
"Yes, but there's not much he can do if he doesn't _want_ to let us help him, and even with all of us, we can't watch him _all_ the time."   
He closed his eyes and began to massage his forehead with one hand.  
  
"I know that. But I'm not sure what we can say to make him listen. It was like shouting down a well earlier. Every new tactic we tried just made him madder and madder. He said that we didn't know anything. And…"  
  
Tai's eyes were opened at this point, and his arm was down, leaving exactly nothing in-between us as they took on a dawning horror. I spoke softly, not really sure that I wanted to understand what had just occurred to him.  
  
"What is it, Tai?"  
  
Tai looked at me, more than slightly horrified.  
  
"He might be right, Sora. Joe always comes running when we call, playing ol' reliable Joe Kido to a 'T', never judging, never complaining. Has anyone, even you, thought to ask him how his life is? What's going on over there?  
  
"We assume that just because he doesn't say anything it means nothing's going on over there in his life. I… I think that he may have every right to tell us we know nothing about his problems…"  
  
_I was right. I didn't want to know. But Tai's right._  
  
He trailed off, and I finished for him.  
  
"And that means everything we say will have even less effect than it would have otherwise. We can't take _all_ of the blame, he might have said something himself, but still…"  
  
He nodded, and lay his head back on the couch, resuming his earlier pose of trying to massage his head.  
  
We didn't say much for a long time after that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I was cornered, trapped like a rat, and the predator knew that her prey, namely me, was fast considering flight.  
  
She pounced, making her move before I had the chance. I was sweating at this point, and she knew it.  
  
_Oh crud…_  
  
Mandy Jenkins had long shiny dark brown hair pulled into a long braid that hung down over her left shoulder. She was wearing a muted green tank top that was leaving little to the imagination.  
  
When Rika found out, and I was sure she would, dimensional barriers not withstanding, I could only pray that my death was quick.  
  
_Why does this always happen to me? It's my first day back after an emotional and physical beating, and this has to happen._  
  
Then, to my everlasting relief, there was a polite clearing of the throat behind her, and someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, and I straightened for a slight look over her shoulder.  
  
_Kari…_  
  
There was something different about Kari today that I couldn't quite place, but I dismissed it as nothing and concentrated on the conversation.  
  
"Hi Mandy."  
  
"Kari."  
  
"Um, look, can I borrow Takato there? I need a little help with my homework…"  
  
"Look Kari, just because you and TK aren't talking right now doesn't mean you can steal my boyfriend."  
  
Kari got a quizzical look on her face, as I stood back pressed tight to the wall shaking my head furiously. She smiled a little.  
  
"I don't think 'boyfriends' have panic attacks when 'girlfriends' back them into dark corners in rarely traversed hallways…"  
  
Mandy glanced back.  
  
"Takato's just too shy to admit it, that's all."  
  
The moment she glanced back towards Kari I made my move, brushing by Mandy at high speeds managing to shake loose the slight hold she had managed to get on my arm.  
  
I ran like the wind until I was three blocks from the building, thanking myself over and over that I had been doing that extra training on the weekends.  
  
At that point I collapsed on a bench to catch my breath.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mandy growled.  
  
"Well, look at that. You scared him off."  
  
I wanted to burst out laughing.  
  
I _scared him off? Me? That's a good one._  
  
I just snorted at her instead. She blinked, then wandered off.  
  
_Wow… This anger is really getting to me.  
  
Oh well…_  
  
I shrugged to myself, then hurried off after Takato. TK had really been bugging me lately. First he was just overprotective. Sweet, but highly annoying. Tai's bad enough by himself. Then Saturday's fight. I shivered in rage.  
  
_How dare he tell me what I can and cannot do!  
  
Jerk…_  
  
I continued on in the direction I thought Takato would go. Specifically, I thought he'd run out the nearest exit and down the street a ways in a panic. I wasn't far off.  
  
_Except I didn't count on the fact that someone else being there…_  
  
He was cornered again, this time on a bench, by a short haired blonde. I broke up the conversation this time by simply yelling out from a distance.  
  
"Hey Takato!"  
  
They both looked up, and Takato looked relieved again, this time running _towards_ me. He grinned a little sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.  
  
"Hey Kari. Need help with that homework?"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Yeah. Let's go."  
  
The small smile turned into a small grin, somewhat grim looking.  
  
"She still looking?"  
  
I glanced over my shoulder back at the bench. The blond whose name I couldn't recall was just staring after us, a weird look on her face. I grimaced.  
  
_Great, I can just imagine the rumors tomorrow._  
  
"Kari?"  
  
"Oh, right. Yeah, she's still looking. I'm not sure why though."  
  
He looked over a little quizzically.  
  
"They've been doing that all day. Do you have any idea why? It's like some switch just went off in their heads or something."  
  
I sighed. This was getting a little weird. But at least it made a _little_ sense. Takato had walked into school this morning after what we'd been through in the past few days making him look a little worse for the wear. This of course resulted in the loss of the childish look he usually wore, in turn making him look a lot more mature.  
  
_Making girls flock to him like magpies._  
  
I patted him on the arm.  
  
"Don't worry about it. As soon as you're back to normal this'll probably stop. You look a few years older right now. Combine it with what happened this weekend, and you're sporting a 'rugged, mature look' that'll last a few days."  
  
"Great. That's _all_ I need right now."  
  
I smiled then took him by the arm and started dragging him off.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"My house. Homework, remember?"  
  
He blinked.  
  
"You mean that wasn't just a line?"  
  
"Sort of, but doing homework in company's a lot better than doing it alone. Come on."  
  
"… Okay."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I sat silently on the couch, Joe's words running through my head like a mantra.  
  
_Joe wasn't too coherent, in fact he was pretty upset, but…  
  
He might have been right…_  
  
Mimi looked over at me, concerned.  
  
"Is everything alright Izzy?"  
  
I tried to smile, to reassure her that everything was fine, but I failed. I ended up frowning instead. That made Mimi frown, and I wanted to hurt myself. I sighed instead.  
  
"Just thinking about Joe…"  
  
It was an evasion, but she bought it. She nodded, and sat down next to me, a little too close for comfort, given my usual reaction to her presence. I tried not to let on.  
  
"It's so sad what happened. Do you have any idea what brought it on?"  
  
I started to shake my head, then stopped myself.  
  
"Well, I'm not too sure, but I think it has something to do with a girl."  
  
Her eyes widened, and she turned to face me fully.  
  
"Joe? And a girl? Together?"  
  
I nodded slowly, and she leaned back a bit, sinking into the couch. She just stared off into space for a while, then smiled a little.  
  
"Wow. I never imagined Joe would…"  
  
I interrupted her.  
  
"I think there was a fight… or something. He wouldn't have broken down like this otherwise."  
  
She nodded, her eyes growing a little watery.  
  
"Can you imagine it, Izzy? Emotion deep enough to make someone react like that when it's taken away…"  
  
I frowned.  
  
"I don't think it's anything to moon over Mimi…"  
  
She sighed a little.  
  
"I know, Izzy, but it's still nice to know that emotions that sincere exist."  
  
"I guess… Oooh…"  
  
_I get it. I think. After Michael's 'emotions' she wants to believe that love like that exists… or something like that…_  
  
We sat there for a while, staring off into space. After a time though, she stood.  
  
"Well, as much fun as sitting here with you is, I should get going…"  
  
I looked up at her.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
She smiled a little, just the left side of her mouth actually curled upwards, and my heart jumped for a moment.  
  
"I need to find a new job."  
  
I blinked.  
  
"I don't think either of us are exactly strapped for cash Mimi."  
  
The quirky little smile came back and she shrugged.  
  
"I know, but I need something to do or I'll go stir-crazy staying in the house all the time."  
  
I nodded again.  
  
"Whatever makes you happy I guess."  
  
"Thanks! Wish me luck!"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Sure."  
  
One quick, full, grin later, and she was out the door. I, on the other hand, collapsed back onto the couch and continued thinking. I thought about Joe…  
  
_Does rejection really hurt that much? Is that what loosing love does to a person? Tai held up well enough, but Sora was still his friend despite it all, and they're together now…_  
  
About Mimi…  
  
_I wonder what she thinks of me? Is telling her how I feel even right, what with the things that are happening with a Joe, and even the recent attack be Michael? Will she be put off, or will she be open to the idea of 'us'?_  
  
And surprisingly, about myself. I asked a lot of questions of myself. Things like, what exactly are my feelings for Mimi?  
  
_Is it just physical attraction? Or is it something deeper?  
  
Is there a real reason why she stopped looking for her own place, or at least not with Sora, or am I just fooling my self?  
  
Say I do actually get up the guts to tell her. What do I say? How do I say it? What's tacky and tasteless given the present circumstances?_  
  
I sat and thought long and hard. Few answers came, which was disturbing. I was known for having all of the answers in 'impossible' situations. Not having said answers was almost as frightening as the one answer I _did_ have.  
  
I _had_ to tell her. No matter what else happened, that was a given. Honesty was important, and if I didn't I could loose her friendship as well if I got out of hand.  
  
My train of thought was disrupted by the object of my affections walked in, a slight grimace on her face. She looked at me and blinked.  
  
"Um, Izzy…?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Have you moved since I left?"  
  
I looked around slowly.  
  
"How long has it been since you left?"  
  
She groaned.  
  
"Izzy, do you mean to tell me you've been sitting there for over three hours?"  
  
_Wow._  
  
"Apparently so. I'm sorry, I should have realized…"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"No, no, it's alright to worry about your friends, Izzy, it's just…"  
  
_Huh?_  
  
"What Mimi?"  
  
She looked straight in my eyes.  
  
"I get worried about you sometimes, Izzy. You sometimes seem like you're going to burst, and I don't know what I can do to help you."  
  
She sighed, then continued.  
  
"It just seems like sometimes you have too much to worry about, and now you're trying to take on Joe's problems too, ignoring your own, but now it seems a little hypocritical, because I'm trying to help you…"  
  
_Maybe she's noticed a bit more than I had thought…_  
  
I looked over to where she was standing, a little out of breath from her outburst, face a trifle flushed. I smiled.  
  
"It's okay Mimi, I promise."  
  
Then I looked at her more carefully.  
  
"Um, well, there is something that would help…"  
  
She smiled encouragingly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
I coughed a bit.  
  
"There are some things I need to get off my chest. I don't suppose you'd care to listen?"  
  
She smiled, and sat back down on the couch in her earlier position.  
  
"Sure."  
  
I took a deep breath, and began. 


	36. It Happened One Night

Chapter 33 - It Happened One Night  
  
I was completely out of my depth here.  
  
"And then he told me that I shouldn't be placing myself in danger! Who the hell does he think he is?!"  
  
I blinked, then cringed mentally. This was a side of Kari that had never really been shown in the series. But that was probably because they had better judgment than that. Kari ranting about people was not a pretty sight.  
  
This had been less a study session than it had been listening to exactly what had happened between her and TK. While he seemed to be her favorite subject, I suspected that if I hung around long enough, Tai would be in there somewhere too. I also suspected that these moments were rare, and then paused to wonder what made me special enough to be present for one of them.  
  
_Oh, that's right. My life sucks._  
  
But on the other hand she had a good point. Then she grinned, signaling that she was going to move on to a happier topic, and I, again mentally, sighed in relief.  
  
"So, Takato… what was with all the girls today?"  
  
_To reiterate, my life sucks._  
  
I put on a cautious expression.  
  
"I have no idea why they did that. If you know, tell me so I can undo whatever it was that I did."  
  
She grinned some more. In this case, I reflected, it wasn't a good sign.  
  
"So you're _not_ interested in any of the girls who kept throwing themselves at you?"  
  
I sighed. I wasn't under any particular delusion that Rika would return my feelings even if she knew that I was alive, but the memories, and occasional fantasies *cough*, were too strong to ignore. Even the thought of dating someone else gave me the sensation of her fist meeting my gut. Kari's smile calmed a little.  
  
"I'll take that for a 'no', then."  
  
She gave me a sidelong glance, and I suddenly felt nervous.  
  
"So, what _do_ you intend to do about the present situation? I mean, if you don't like any of them, then you obviously won't date any of them…"  
  
Now her gaze at me was somewhat speculative, I could almost see the wheels turning in her head and there was this weird gleam in her eye.  
  
I was suddenly afraid.  
  
Very afraid.  
  
Like Rika's holding me by the throat and accidentally discovers my good luck charm afraid.  
  
"W-What?"  
  
"How about _I_ be your girlfriend?"  
  
_I heard wrong. That much is obvious. Kari could not have said that. But what else could she have said?_  
  
"Come again?"  
  
She had on a mischievous grin. Never a good sign. Never.  
  
"I said, _I_ could be your girlfriend."  
  
My face paled.  
  
"I like living. Your brother would kill me."  
  
Kari waved her hand dismissively.  
  
"Nah, he won't be a problem. And if he is, I'll straighten him out. Besides, I bet the rumors are flying already anyways."  
  
"What?!"  
  
She looked at me like I was stupid. I apparently am stupid, but that's a story for another day. Or maybe it's simply this story. Hard to tell. Possibly both.  
  
But in any event, she arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"I bailed you out twice today, remember? It's already commonly known that TK and I broke up, and you and I being seen together so much so soon? If it isn't already common knowledge, it will be by the time school starts tomorrow."  
  
I would have broken down and started sobbing at this point, but I felt it was necessary to save my few remaining shreds of dignity for now. Instead I tried to get out of it.  
  
"Now, now, it's not _that_ bad. I'll survive, there's no real reason for you to do this…"  
  
She smiled a little.  
  
"No! No. It's okay, really. Besides…"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
_Why must my life suck so much?_  
  
"It's not like I'm being completely unselfish here. I was thinking that maybe this would get TK to stop being such a jerk."  
  
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head.  
  
"Um, Kari? I don't think that's a good idea. In every single TV show I've seen with this in it, it never works out. Let's just quit while we're ahead."  
  
Much to my horror, she just dismissed my comment.  
  
"Oh, come on Takato! That's TV, and this is real life! It can and _will_ work here, I promise!"  
  
There wasn't a heck of a lot that I was allowed to say to that.  
  
_I'm going to regret this. I just know it._  
  
Even if Azulongmon's restrictions hadn't been in place, I wouldn't have had the heart to tell her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked at Izzy a little questioningly. He seemed to be having trouble, well more than usual, expressing himself.  
  
"I guess I'm not really sure what to say here. I don't even know if I should be talking about this now, it seems a little insensitive to me, what with everything that's going on in our lives right now… I should just forget about it…"  
  
I grabbed his arm as he tried to rise and forced him back down onto the couch.  
  
"No. Tell me. You started for a reason. I want to know what's wrong."  
  
He looked at me, and his eyes looked haunted.  
  
"I guess… I'm scared."  
  
I frowned.  
  
"Scared? Scared of what?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Scared of loosing your friendship."  
  
I smiled reassuringly at him.  
  
"You aren't going to loose my friendship, Izzy. I promise."  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"It's not that simple. You'll look at me differently after this. It'll be… awkward."  
  
I frowned at him again.  
  
"Well, you've got nothing to loose. It'll be awkward anyways, now that I know you're keeping something from me."  
  
He nodded slowly, then looked away.  
  
"I-I think I'm… falling for you…"  
  
My eyes widened a bit.  
  
"Um, how long has this been going on, Izzy?"  
  
"Since about when you moved here."  
  
I nodded a little, deep in thought.  
  
_Well, that explains a bit. But, how do I feel about Izzy?_  
  
I pulled out of it a few seconds later, and he was looking at me, fairly afraid of what I might say or do. I looked at him, and began to speak softly.  
  
"I… I remember when we fought MetalSeadramon - Michael's, not the other one. You were right there with me Izzy, comforting me. You were also there whenever I needed a hand with something, even if it was just an ear to listen. Those are things a good friend does."  
  
I smiled a little more reassuringly at him, pulling my mouth into a small grin.  
  
"I _also_ remember the 'dates' we had to throw him off. I really had fun on those. And having a great time together is almost a prerequisite of being good friends."  
  
I stood up then, and offered him a hand. He took it, albeit somewhat cautiously.  
  
"But I also know that some of the best relationships grow out of friendships."  
  
His eyes became as wide as dinner plates as they filled with hope.  
  
"And I'm willing to give it a try if you are."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The phone rang, so I picked it up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
[Kenny?]  
  
I blinked.  
  
"Oh, hi Yolie!"  
  
[Are you doing anything tonight?]  
  
I winced a little. This would hurt.  
  
"Um, actually, Davis and I were going to go see a movie…"  
  
[Oh.]  
  
_That's odd, she sounds more sad than angry… What's today? Am I missing an important date or something?_  
  
I glanced at the calendar.  
  
_No. I'm not. That's funny…_  
  
"What's wrong Yolie?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
[Nothing, really. I'm just bored to tears, that's all. Kari's busy with something else, I couldn't get any details out of her.]  
  
I smiled a little, and it showed in my voice.  
  
"So I'm the second choice? I'm insulted!"  
  
[Oh, be quiet you! Um…]  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
[Any chance you could come over and see me _after_ the movie lets out?]  
  
I frowned.  
  
_It'll be kind of late, but…_  
  
"Sure. I can stop in for a bit, but I probably shouldn't stay too long. It's a school night after all."  
  
[Great! See you later Kenny!]  
  
"I'll see you later Yolie."  
  
A few minutes later, Davis knocked on the door.  
  
"You ready Ken?"  
  
Veemon poked his head in.  
  
"Yeah, you ready?"  
  
I grinned. It had been a while since we'd hung out like this.  
  
"Absolutely. Oh, and I promised Yolie I'd be over after the movie, so we can't mess around too long afterwards."  
  
He rolled his eyes as I bent to pick up Wormmon.  
  
"And the old ball and chain calls."  
  
"And you wonder why you can't get a steady girlfriend."  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"Ah, I'll settle down eventually. But probably not anytime soon. Let's just go."  
  
"Right."  
  
The movie was surprisingly good for something that Davis picked out, and with a few more cracks about my relationship with Yolie, we laughingly parted ways.  
  
"You sure you'll be okay Ken?"  
  
"Sure, Yolie's house is only a few blocks down, you know that."  
  
Davis smirked, and then headed off to his car. Wormmon safely in my arms, I started walking.  
  
Then it happened.  
  
"TRUMP SWORDS!"  
  
I didn't stop to think, I just dived out of the way as four swords impaled themselves in the ground I was standing in only moments before. The ground exploded in a shower of stone, sending me smashing into a wall. I groaned and turned back to see a smirking Piedmon.  
  
_Oh no. Where's Davis when you need him?_  
  
"Wormmon, GO!"  
  
"Right Ken!"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Wormmon digivolve to… Stingmon!**  
  
Piedmon grinned.  
  
"Oh please, you think you can stop me with an champion? I'm invincible!"  
  
"SPIKING STRIKE!"  
  
I pulled out my D-Terminal to try t get a hold of someone. And promptly cursed.  
  
It was smashed, broken beyond repair.  
  
_Of all the days to not have a cell phone…_  
  
"Looks like we're going solo on this one Stingmon."  
  
"Don't worry Ken, we'll make it!"  
  
Piedmon laughed as Stingmon's attack did absolutely nothing against him.  
  
"Really? Better pray for a miracle then boy. TRUMP SWORDS!"  
  
Stingmon managed to dodge three of them, but the fourth caught him.  
  
"STINGMON!"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Stingmon digivolve to… DinoBeemon!**  
  
Perhaps the biggest bug digimon I had ever seen, DinoBeemon looked like Paildramon gone wrong, being quadruped with the majority of him looking like Stingmon, but with the arms and tail of X-Veemon. He had a spiked collar around his neck, which amusingly still had the blue bandanna under it.  
  
DinoBeemon charged.  
  
"IRRITANT BUZZ!"  
  
"CLOWN TRICK!"  
  
Piedmon dodged and countered, and DinoBeemon barely dodged.  
  
"HELL MASQUERADE!"  
  
DinoBeemon slammed into Piedmon's chest, who just smirked.  
  
"You really think you can hurt me?"  
  
Then he slammed his elbow down onto DinoBeemon's next, snapping the spiked collar, sending him slamming into the ground. He struggled to stand. Piedmon just looked amused.  
  
"Still with us are you? Well, I'll fix that."  
  
He then bodily picked up DinoBeemon, which was shocking because DinoBeemon had about double his bulk. Then he threw him into the building above me, and debris came showering down, nearly beating me senseless. Piedmon just smirked. My ears were ringing, and I could barely hear him.  
  
"Goodbye boy. TRUMP -"  
  
"…DESTROYER!"  
  
Piedmon looked left just in time to see twin black bolts of energy slam him into the building across the street as BlackWarGrowlmon came forward. Then Angewoman swooped in and began picking the rubble off me while I struggled to stay conscious. Piedmon got out of the wreckage. He glanced around as a car screeched onto the scene and Davis got out looking shocked. He smirked.  
  
"Ah, it seems more have arrived to play. You get off easy for now boy."  
  
Then he flew behind a few buildings. Takato was about to start after him, but BlackWarGrowlmon held him back.  
  
"I can't sense him anymore Takatomon."  
  
He sighed, then they turned to come help Angewoman and Kari pick rubble off me while Davis started dialing franticly on his cell phone.  
  
That was about all I saw before I passed out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I yawned and looked over at an insistent tapping on my window.  
  
_What the…_  
  
I ran for the window and opened it, letting Gomamon inside, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"It's horrible Sora!"  
  
_Oh no. What happened to Joe?_  
  
"What happened Gomamon?"  
  
He sniffed, and started rambling.  
  
"I tried Izzy's place, then I was going to Tai's but I came here because it was closer, and then…"  
  
"Gomamon! _What_ happened?"  
  
He looked up at me, a helpless look in his eyes.  
  
"Joe's gone, Sora! And I don't know where he is or how to find him!" 


	37. Unburdening

Chapter 34 - Unburdening  
  
I sat silently, listening to TK, and praying the bell for the end of the day to come.  
  
"I simply cannot believe she's going out with _him_ of all people! It's absolutely insane! He's a danger to her, us, and probably the entire digital world, even if he doesn't mean to be!"  
  
_I feel like shit. If I had just stuck around a little longer, Ken would be okay. Some friend I am._  
  
Above me, TK's voice suddenly got cutting.  
  
"Are you even listening Davis?!"  
  
I looked up at him.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."  
  
He growled.  
  
"What's with you?!"  
  
_All right. That's it. I've had enough of this._  
  
"What's with me?! What's with me?! What the _hell_ is wrong with you TK?! Joe's gone, Ken's hospitalized, and you can only worry about Kari, who you wouldn't have lost if you hadn't been such an ass in the first place!"  
  
TK glared.  
  
"I am _trying_ to prevent more harm from being done by someone who has control over a monster, Davis! Viruses can't be trusted-"  
  
I lost it there, and leapt up and hit him, sending him sprawling to the ground. My voice lost it's energy.  
  
"Wormmon is a virus too, TK. Type doesn't matter. Just what's inside, and I thought you knew that. Guess I was wrong."  
  
TK lay there, rubbing his jaw, looking up at me. Then he looked down.  
  
"I've been an idiot, haven't I Davis?"  
  
I sat down next to him.  
  
"Yeah. But at least you can have a second chance. I left Ken alone for about two minutes, and look what happened. I should have been there, but…"  
  
"You can't blame yourself for that Davis, you didn't do anything…"  
  
"That's the point! I should have! I should have been there…"  
  
"It wasn't like you knew it was going to happen and messed up, Davis. Sometimes these things just happen."  
  
"Maybe…"  
  
Then the bell rang, and suddenly TK's hand was in front of me.  
  
"Come on, let's get to the hospital. We have to give Yolie a ride. I don't think she's in any condition to do anything by herself right now."  
  
I nodded, and took his hand, hoisting myself up. Then he smiled a little sheepishly.  
  
"Besides, I have to try to at least salvage a _friendship_ with Kari, and knowing her, she'll be there."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
According to Sora, Gomamon had finished his crying jags once he was woke up, and was now as well as could be expected. We were sitting in the hospital waiting room now.  
  
"I'm not sure how to say this Gomamon…"  
  
He looked up at me.  
  
"We're not going to go look for Joe yet, are we, Tai?"  
  
I shook my head, feeling a great deal of shame well up in me.  
  
"No, we're not. Piedmon needs to be handled now. After what happened to Ken, sending Digidestined off in small groups to look for him is…"  
  
Gomamon finished for me.  
  
"Suicide."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'm _so_ sorry Gomamon, but I just can't…"  
  
"I know Tai. And Joe would be the first to tell you that you should handle Piedmon first. I just worry that the more time it takes to finish this, the harder it'll be to find Joe…"  
  
I nodded, and we sat in silence for a bit. Then Ken's parents came out, and nodded at us. We could go in now. I placed my coat on the seat, and ventured across to the room. I closed the door after me.  
  
Ken was hooked up to what seemed to be some fairly standard hospital equipment. His left leg was elevated and in a cast, he had some IVs in his arm and there was some gauze around his head. He smiled a little as I approached.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
I sighed. Hospitals suck.  
  
"I imagine you'll get this a lot today, but how are you feeling?"  
  
He groaned, but his voice was confident.  
  
"Not as bad as it looks. The leg's broken, and I had shallow cuts all over, and then there's the concussion, but other than that I'm fine. I should be out of here in a week or so. Of course, they say I'll have the cast for at least a month after that."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Well, that's great, all things considered."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Yeah, I had some internal bleeding, but it healed up overnight. I'll be in some decent pain for a while, but I'll live."  
  
I nodded, and we sat for a bit, then I stood.  
  
"Well, I should go, and make room for somebody else."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kari entered after Tai left, starting a continuous stream of well wishers that lasted pretty much until visiting hours were over. The most amusing things were Kari and TK's separate rants about each other, and the most annoying was attempting to convince Davis that this wasn't his entire fault. The only people left here were my parents and Yolie, who was currently sleeping hunched over the bed.  
  
_In fact, the only person who didn't come see me today was…_  
  
The door creaked open slightly, and Takato entered the room. Noting Yolie sleeping, tears dried, he whispered.  
  
"Hey, sorry I'm late."  
  
I smiled a little.  
  
"Not like you would have been able to get in at all earlier. But aren't visiting hours over?"  
  
He looked a little nervous, but shrugged.  
  
"Heh heh. Imagine that. Oh well. How are you holding up?"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"As well as can be expected. But can we not talk about me? What were you doing? Kari mentioned you said you had some errands to run."  
  
"I went into the digital world to talk to Azulongmon about the attack. Among other things."  
  
"Like…?"  
  
He looked at me funny.  
  
"What's with the twenty questions routine?"  
  
"I've been stuck in this bed listening to people gripe all day, if not about me then about their personal lives. I could use some actual news."  
  
He nodded slowly.  
  
"Well, I assume by now you've heard that Joe's gone missing. Tai says we can't afford to go looking for him right now because of Piedmon… Let's see… hmmm…"  
  
I let out a smile.  
  
"I hear from TK that you and Kari are dating now…"  
  
He grimaced at that.  
  
"That… is not quite what it seems. I think that's about all I'll say on that front. How's Davis, he was beating himself up over this earlier."  
  
"He's still doing it. It wasn't his fault, but he can't quite seem to get it through his head. What did Azulongmon say about Piedmon anyways?"  
  
He arched an eyebrow.  
  
"You sure you wanna know?"  
  
"Yes. Who's out there doing this? Why?"  
  
Takato sighed.  
  
"We're not sure, but we're pretty sure tall dark and creepy is behind all of these recent revivals."  
  
My eyes widened.  
  
"_Daemon_?!"  
  
Takato nodded.  
  
"I'd appreciate it if that wasn't spread around too much. Piedmon is the real problem at this point."  
  
"But Daemon -"  
  
"Is stuck in the Dark Ocean. We don't need to deal with him right now - maybe not ever. Piedmon will give us enough trouble."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'm not sure I agree with that completely, but I suppose Piedmon is the more immediate concern."  
  
Yolie stirred at this point, blinking and raising her head.  
  
"Takato…?"  
  
"Hey. How are _you_ doing."  
  
She frowned a little groggily.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean? Ken's the one in the hospital bed…"  
  
"Yeah, but the people outside of it tend to become complete head cases."  
  
_Oh great, now he's done it…_  
  
Yolie was _wide_ awake now.  
  
"_What_ did you say?!"  
  
He only grinned.  
  
"Got your attention didn't I?"  
  
She stopped suddenly, then started laughing a little. He threw me a wink that Yolie didn't catch. I decided to change the subject.  
  
"So what were the other things you were talking to Azulongmon about?"  
  
"Hmmm? Oh, just some personal stuff. I sent off a letter to Impmon, along with his Behemoth."  
  
"But didn't…"  
  
Takato blinked.  
  
"Oh, right, I never got around to telling you guys did I? It turns out the little squirt's alive and well, back in the southern quadrant. Strangest thing."  
  
Yolie smiled.  
  
"Well, I'm glad he's okay."  
  
Takato nodded, then rose.  
  
"We should go. Come on Yolie. Unlike certain other people, we have school tomorrow."  
  
She nodded and got up as well.  
  
"See you tomorrow Ken."  
  
"Yeah. See you guys."  
  
Takato paused on his way out the door and smacked his head.  
  
"Can't believe I almost forgot."  
  
He went into the bathroom for a moment, I heard him mumble something, and a strange light came out from where I couldn't see. He came out with a shiny new D-Terminal, complete with the Crest of Kindness embossed on top.  
  
"How the…"  
  
He looked a little tired suddenly.  
  
"Whatever you do Ken, _don't_ ask me how I got that. It's an explanation you don't want to hear and I don't want to give. Have Izzy set it up for you when he comes in next."  
  
Then he waved goodbye and left, leaving me with a few new questions.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I dodged the doctors while exiting the hospital. Entering with the green cards had been risky enough, and I didn't need to be told to sign out on a visitor's list I hadn't signed in on.  
  
At least in this case, luck seemed to be with me as I managed to hit the street without anything happening. I started back towards the apartment. Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji were still in the hospital, and I kinda wished that Piedmon would try to attack me on my way back there.  
  
_I am going to put some serious hurt on that guy._  
  
"Takato…"  
  
I turned suddenly to find Sora leaning against a railing behind me.  
  
_Huh?_  
  
"Um, what are you doing here? Didn't Tai say no one should be out alone…?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"And I said that I'd wait here for you. It was a bit of a risk, but not too much of one. Tai said you'd show up eventually, but I kind of expected to see you walk up to the building, not out of it…"  
  
_Think fast Takato…_  
  
"Well, funny thing about the digiport I was using, spit me out in the hospital…"  
  
Sora just raised an eyebrow skeptically, but let it pass.  
  
"Uh huh. Well, let's get going."  
  
I nodded, and we headed out to her car. The drive was a little silent as we drove. Then she brought up a topic of conversation I'd hoped to avoid, but was probably inevitable.  
  
"So… what's this I hear about you and Kari going out?"  
  
I grimaced. I would have pounded my head against something too, had there been anything to pound against.  
  
"Ugh. That really isn't what it seems. It's just a trick to get the _other_ girls to stop climbing all over me…"  
  
Sora smirked.  
  
"See! I was right! Those clothes are getting you girls!"  
  
"Uh, yeah…"  
  
She sighed and looked over at me as she stopped at an intersection.  
  
"So what's the deal? You don't like any of them?"  
  
I fidgeted nervously in my seat.  
  
"Well, it's not so much that…"  
  
Her eyes glinted then, and I could tell I was in for a rough time.  
  
"Oh that's right, the other guys _did_ mention you had someone back home, didn't they…"  
  
"I wouldn't exactly call it _that_. If I did 'have' her, and she'd kill me for using that word, I probably wouldn't have had to leave the southern quadrant in the first place."  
  
"So just someone you've been pining over then?"  
  
She sighed then, and continued wistfully.  
  
"That's just so incredibly romantic…"  
  
Her eyes took on that sudden gleam again.  
  
"Tell me about her."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"It's a long ride down to the Ichijouji apartment. We need something to do."  
  
I nodded, and then began, hesitant though I was. After a short time though, I stopped stuttering, and began elaborating, until I began just saying anything that came to mind about her, getting it all off my chest.  
  
I never even realized that we had been sitting in the parking lot for ten minutes before I finished. 


	38. Clowning Around

Chapter 35 - Clowning Around  
  
"Jerk!"  
  
"Nerdette!"  
  
"Horse's ass!"  
  
"Geek queen!"  
  
I whimpered softly and put my head in my hands. Yolie and Davis were _supposed_ to be helping me get home. 'Supposed' being the key word here. They had agreed to a truce from their ordinary bickering.  
  
That lasted until they finally got me into the wheelchair.  
  
The argument started with a definite purpose in mind. Who was going to push the wheelchair?  
  
_That_, in turn, lasted all of five seconds before it degenerated into basic name-calling.  
  
_That's it. I'm getting out of here. Now._  
  
My parents were working, and the other Digidestined were occupied or at school, with the exception of the afore mentioned Davis and Yolie. I looked down, disengaged the brakes, and wheeled my self the hell out of there before they killed each other. Being an accessory to murder would not be a pleasant way to round out the week.  
  
Of course, in the hallway, I lasted all of three seconds.  
  
"Excuse me, but should you be out of your room alone in that chair?"  
  
I turned to see a rather severe looking nurse. I gulped a little.  
  
"Well, I should probably have someone with me to escort me out, but they're, um… a little preoccupied…"  
  
Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Really. Well, we'll just have to see about that!"  
  
I watched, slightly fascinated, with a bemused expression on my face as she entered the room that I had just exited.  
  
The yelling sounds stopped momentarily as she entered. Then they increased ten-fold, this time punctuated by screeches and several loud crashing noises. A moment later the door opened and a disheveled Davis and Yolie stepped out, followed by the nurse who just glared at them, nodded at me, and walked back down the hall, her feet clicking on the tile floors.  
  
Yolie and Davis turned towards me sheepishly. Davis shuffled his feet nervously as Yolie spoke.  
  
"Um, sorry Ken."  
  
I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Well, at least you didn't go on _too_ long, though I'm not sure that would have been the case if that nurse hadn't intervened."  
  
Davis was a little spooked at that, and glanced back over his shoulder before shuddering.  
  
"Yeah, with that in mind, can we go now?"  
  
I grinned.  
  
"Yeah, as long as one of you two is pushing me."  
  
The two of them looked at each other, no doubt slightly afraid that this would start the argument all over again, with the same results likely. Davis paled a bit.  
  
"Um, you can take him if you want to, Yolie…"  
  
She bit her lip and shook her head.  
  
"No, I don't mind, Davis. You can do it."  
  
Davis just looked nervous, and fidgeted a bit. I slapped my forehead. They were dangerously close to having the same argument as before, except this time neither of them wanted to do it, as opposed to both of them wanting to.  
  
_Obviously, if anything's going to be done, I need to order it myself._  
  
"All right, Yolie, if you would, could you please push the wheelchair? Davis, be a pal and make sure no one's in the way and open doors and things for us. Thanks."  
  
They both just smiled, nodded, and went about the tasks I had assigned them.  
  
_It's going to be a long road to recovery._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few days after Ken got out of the hospital, Tai, myself, and Gomamon were talking as we approached the street corner where we were supposed to be meeting.  
  
"Are you _sure_ you're doing okay Gomamon?"  
  
He smiled a little.  
  
"Of course I'm sure. I'm fine."  
  
Tai gave him a withering look, and I giggled. He sighed.  
  
"Look, you two, I'm as fine as I can be given the circumstances. Everything's relative after all."  
  
I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"That's rather profound for you Gomamon."  
  
Gomamon grimaced.  
  
"Oh, come on. Not you too Sora!"  
  
I was about to answer, when a voice sounded from across the street.  
  
"Ugh! Tai, I cannot believe that you stuck me with _him_. I'd rather have gone with Takato."  
  
Kari said 'him' with the deepest disgust in her voice. The poor recipient of her thought process was TK. Tai was stuck in a look between amusement and annoyance.  
  
"Two reasons. One, Takato can take care of himself. No matter how uncontrollable, BlackGuilmon _is_ mega capable. Two, he vanished again earlier today. Ken says he probably just went to work, but he still wasn't here to partner up. Now, did you guys see any sign of Joe?"  
  
Going against his earlier statement, Tai _had_ decided that we should split into small groups to look for Joe. Cody remarked that Piedmon was like a storm. They could plan for eventualities, but we couldn't actually do anything about him unless he showed up, so we shouldn't let him get in the way of what was important. But still cautious, we were meeting at regular intervals just to make sure.  
  
Kari shook her head.  
  
"No, not a sign. I'm getting really worried. It's not like Joe to just run off like this, no matter _what's_ happening."  
  
Tai nodded, but shrugged.  
  
"You're right, but you didn't see him last time. He was in pretty bad shape, capable of almost anything."  
  
"Tai's right. Joe's not thinking clearly. We need to find him before he does something stupid."  
  
We turned again, and I heaved a sigh of relief as Matt, Izzy and Mimi came into view, followed closely by Davis and Ken. We stood talking quietly amongst ourselves, people and digimon, for about five minutes. Finally Ken caved in and said what we were all thinking.  
  
"Where are they? Cody and Yolie should have been back by now."  
  
As if that was an entrance cue, Scorpiomon and Aquilamon flew into view a moment later, out two missing Digidestined on their backs. Cody screamed down at us.  
  
"DIGIVOLE! NOW! PIEDMON'S RIGHT BEHIND US!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A sudden deafening boom knocked me over from where I was running through the park, where I was training after work. I swore as I realized that Piedmon was attacking again. I ran over to the edge of the park and made sure to stay low and hidden as I watched the battle.  
  
_Not again.  
  
*BlackGuilmon…*  
  
*Coming Takatomon!*_  
  
With the level of power and the sheer ferocity shown in the last attack by Piedmon, I was more than angry at him, and more than a little frustrated with the reborn Dark Masters altogether. I figured that someone else digivolving was more than justified. I watched Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode take another viscous assault.  
  
"TRUMP SWORDS!"  
  
I winced as BlackGuilmon came up to me in the place I was hidden.  
  
"Ready Takatomon!"  
  
I nodded.  
  
**Biomerge  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackGuilmon Biomerge to… ChaosGallantmon!**  
  
"GRANI!"  
  
Grani shimmered in and swooped low. I jumped on and we took off for a cloudbank.  
  
"OMEGA SWORD!"  
  
To my surprise, the attack actually hit Piedmon. I was beginning to think that it was over when…  
  
"NIGHTMARE CLAW!"  
  
_Huh? Since when does Piedmon know that attack? That's VenomMyotismon's attack! Oh, no…_  
  
I no longer had time to contemplate that last thought as Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode broke apart into four Rookies. I looked at the situation again. My analysis? It was two steps shy of hopeless. All of the Digidestined were there, but they were mostly down for the count. Then as Silphymon and Shakkoumon appeared to give it a final go, inspiration struck. I slipped my feet in the straps designed to hold me there.  
  
_I'm gonna feel this one in the morning. Grani, turn upside down please._  
  
"CRYSTAL MATRIX!"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Silphymon Digivolve to… Valkyrimon!  
  
Shakkoumon Digivolve to… Vikemon!  
  
Tentomon Warp Digivolve to… HerculesKabuterimon!  
  
Biyomon Warp Digivolve to… Phoenixmon!  
  
Gomamon Warp Digivolve to… Preciomon!  
  
Palmon Warp Digivolve to… Rosemon!**  
  
Piedmon burst into data shortly afterwards. If I hadn't been so caught up with trying to make it to the ground before losing consciousness I might have remembered my earlier thoughts about Piedmon using VenomMyotismon's attack.  
  
But that wasn't the case. I had just made it back to the ground when I toppled off Grani's back and dedigivolved from the strain, collapsing right there. It was about an hour before I was able to make my was back to Ken's apartment.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"KARI!"  
  
She looked back at me and groaned.  
  
"Look, TK, all I want to do right now is go home and sleep for twelve hours. Is that too much to ask?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No… It's just that every time I get a chance to talk to you alone, you keep blowing me off. I need you to take me seriously for a moment. I…"  
  
I trailed off, not really knowing how to say it. Kari's face softened for a moment.  
  
"You what, TK?"  
  
I closed my eyes and just got it out and done with.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Her expression didn't change.  
  
"For?"  
  
_Oh, I see, she's going to make me say all of it._  
  
"I'm sorry I screwed up."  
  
She arched an eyebrow as if to say 'That's it? Not good enough and you know it'. I started again.  
  
"I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm sorry I tried to rule you instead of support you. I'm sorry that I'm such an ass. I-"  
  
She sighed and looked down, examining her feet.  
  
"Look. TK, this isn't easy for me either, but it's the way it is. I just need some… time, that's all."  
  
A slightly bitter smile crossed my features, and I'm sure she caught it, but didn't interrupt me.  
  
"But if I give you that time… I don't want to loose you Kari. I didn't to Davis, and I don't want to loose you now to Takato."  
  
I frowned as a slightly amused look flitted across her face. Then she seemed slightly embarrassed.  
  
"Yeah, about that… Takato and I aren't exactly dating."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, he kind of need some help after the whole BlackMegidramon thing. I mean, he was getting attacked left and right by girls. Since I was unattached, I thought that maybe I could help."  
  
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head.  
  
"By going out with him?! Kari, that's…"  
  
She smiled a little sadly.  
  
"I know, I know. But seriously, just give some space and some time."  
  
I looked at her.  
  
"I just said I can't. You might not look at him like that right now, but can you say for certain that you'll still be able to say that in a week or two?"  
  
She sighed then, and addressed her gaze to the heavens.  
  
"Yes. TK, I didn't blow up at you that day because of Takato, that was just an excuse. What I couldn't stand was you telling me that I couldn't be in charge of my own life, that I couldn't make my own decisions, that I couldn't choose to put myself at risk for something I believed in - especially if you'd be doing the same in a second."  
  
I nodded a little, but the frown still stayed.  
  
"I know that, but it still doesn't answer my question."  
  
"I guess there are two reasons why I could never see Takato that way. The first… he's too much like Tai. Every time I look at him, I see the same things. I'd be too much like dating him."  
  
She just trailed off, so I prompted her.  
  
"And the second?"  
  
"The second, well that's connected to the first in a way, because Tai and Takato are both like this, but Takato's too… intense… in battle. He never seems to hesitate; he simply goes for the throat. I know that it has to do with the digital world where he comes from, and that he only fights like that to protect us, but… when he's fighting, he seems… lost in it, like battle is something he enjoys. He'd never hurt any of us, and he's willing to show mercy when it's appropriate, but I don't think I could really be with someone like him. Not at all."  
  
I smiled a little then.  
  
"So it's really just to help him then?"  
  
She grinned.  
  
"Yeah. To honest though, I had to drag him kicking and screaming into it. But I thought that it was either this or a restraining order against several of the other girls."  
  
We both started laughing, and we started walking again. I wanted Kari to be mine again, but like she said, that would take time. For now I was simply content to be friends again. 


	39. Wedding Bells

Chapter 36 - The Wedding  
  
And time passed.  
  
Ken recovered nicely from his little debacle with Piedmon in a couple of weeks. He still gets small twinges in bad weather, but nothing serious to worry about. Following the incident, Yolie's become a lot more possessive of him. He doesn't mind too much, but I get the feeling that he needs a little more space than she's giving him.  
  
Davis, on the other hand, has begun to reexamine his priorities. He's done a lot of growing up recently. That isn't to say that Davis isn't fun anymore, he's just become somewhat more mature and reliable. He's changing from his former bumbling self into someone who's just occasionally inexplicably goofy.  
  
To the relief of all of us, even Davis, TK and Kari finally got back together after nearly two months of dancing around the issue. I had the misfortune of being the first to find out. I accidentally happened across the two of them making out in a school closet.  
  
I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not, or even if I should mention it, but I'm only one of three men, her father and TK being the others, to see her with her top off. Things were awkward for a few months after that, but we got over it. It was a little disorienting at first because, as faked as it was, Kari and I hadn't 'officially' broken it off yet. But I hope they have good luck from here - and that TK manages to lighten up a little. Kari, TK, and I have actually managed to coordinate a study group amongst the younger Digidestined and me, so that I don't have to go bug Izzy all the time, which is good, all things considered.  
  
Izzy did something so unexpected that most of us still can't believe he found the guts. I mean it. Davis explodes over it every day.  
  
He asked Mimi to marry him.  
  
Honestly, until we looked at it a little more closely, we all thought it was a rushed decision, but when you stop to think about it, it's really not. When we considered it, they've been living together for years already. The only real change from their dating to marriage would be the ceremony.  
  
And since she said yes, Mimi's spent more money than I've ever seen putting together the most expensive and extravagant wedding I've ever heard of. I've never had the misfortune of attending another one fortunately.  
  
It's ironic, really, that Matt is more panicked over the wedding than Izzy is. And that's saying something. Jun keeps giving Matt these suggestive looks, and he's pretty close to cutting and running.  
  
Sovereigns help us all.  
  
Joe, sadly, remains missing to this day. We haven't seen or heard from him since that day that Gomamon showed up crying on Sora's doorstep. Gomamon is deeply troubled by all of this, but still refuses to say anything about what happened to make Joe react like that, but from what Tai, Matt, and Izzy have said, we assume it's a girl. Gomamon is as recovered as possible, but often drifts off to be alone.  
  
Sora has suffered a loss as well. Her mother died. This has left the flower shop pretty much completely in her hands. Well, not completely, we all try to pitch in a little when we can, and Kari has taken a more or less full time position beside her.  
  
Tai, on the other hand, lends Sora as much emotional support as he can, and tries to help in subtle ways. Sora flat out refused to let Tai pay for anything she needs other than the usual small gifts, so he's compensated by taking her out to eat more often. We've all made a silent pact that any of our flower needs come from her. Not like we would have considered anywhere else, but Ken and TK buy flowers for every date now, and the Mimi paid Sora to do all of the flowers the wedding. And that's a lot.  
  
I'm fairly sure she knows what's going on on some level, but she isn't saying anything. So far Tai says it's working okay, but I don't want to speak too soon.  
  
I had to claim to be jumped by someone or something else, never saw it, to dodge the 'where were you' question after the Piedmon battle. My appearance, degraded by the hour I spent in the gutter, helped the story along. Fortunately, true to Kari's word, the clamoring of the fairer gender for me died down. Not completely though. There's no way life in general would let me off that easy. At least I'm not openly propositioned anymore.  
  
And time passed, and I began my last year in high school, my last year in the eastern quadrant.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Nervousness, thy name is Izzy._  
  
I was standing there with Izzy, watching him fidget. The Best Man gets to do that kind of thing, and make fun of him while he's on the honeymoon.  
  
I glanced idly around the room. Izzy, hair combed for once, was wearing a pure white tuxedo, as Mimi claimed that the black was simply 'not right' on him. In fact, the tuxedos of all of the groomsmen were white as well, only varying in the colors of the center-frill-things.  
  
_Sora would kill me for not knowing the name. Oh well._  
  
The room itself was done tastefully, if abundantly, in lilies, orchids, and several exotic species I couldn't identify off the top of my head. The chapel interior was done mostly in mahogany, and one of the more open and spacious I'd seen when Sora dragged me along her, Mimi, and Izzy on the hunt for the 'perfect' location.  
  
There were several stained glass windows, but most of the light in the room was coming from an elevated window directly behind the pulpit, which was at the perfect spot, and this was taking place at the perfect time of day, for the altar to be bathed in concentrated white light.  
  
There were a lot of people in attendance today. In addition to the Odaiba Digidestined and their families, also present were the New York crew, all smiling proudly, with the possible exception of Maria, who I couldn't see well at my angle since she was a bride's maid.  
  
From my side, one of the groomsmen, Takato to be specific, swore softly under his breath. I turned back to him, hissing under my breath so that the priest wouldn't shush us. I noted that Izzy has noticed as well, despite the fact that he was probably contemplating running.  
  
"What?"  
  
His face took on a far away look for a moment, then he shook his head.  
  
"Don't worry about it. It's nothing."  
  
I frowned, but didn't comment. Now wasn't the time. Fortunately Izzy distracted me then, bringing in a new problem. He looked at me with wild eyes. He, too, hissed under his breath.  
  
"Tai, I can't find the rings!"  
  
I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Relax. _I_ have them, remember?"  
  
I patted my pocket for good measure, and grinned at the look of relief that crossed his face. We stopped fidgeting and resumed our main places as the music started and we all turned to look down the isle at the doors.  
  
They opened gracefully, and Mimi, escorted by her father, came down the isle at a slow, stately pace. This seemed to settle Izzy a bit, as he simply stared; only the fact that Mimi would have been furious kept him from using a slack-jawed stare. Mimi was in a floor length white gown. It was strapless, and there was lace everywhere, and there was subtle embroidery in a gold thread. Mimi also wore white gloves that proceeded half way up her upper arms, as she held a smaller arrangement of the same flowers that were everywhere else in the room.  
  
She had also changed her hair. She was wearing it in a high pony tail, with two thick tendrils hanging down to frame her face, much like she had worn it when we first entered the digital world. Her hair was back to its original brown color for the most part, but the hair that was hanging down to either side of her face was still that bright pink color. On her head she wore a delicate silver tiara to keep the veil in place.  
  
Mimi reached the altar, and with a quick peck to her cheek, her father joined her mother in the isle. The priest looked over the gathered crowd.  
  
"If there are any here who have cause as to why these two should not be joined, speak now, or forever hold your piece."  
  
There was a long tense moment then. The air was still, as if awaiting someone who _would_ object. But it never came, and the room breathed a silent sigh of relief.  
  
The priest spoke for quite some time after that about the state of matrimony. As the prototypical male, I tuned most of it out, but I noted that Sora nearly had tears in her eyes, so knew that I had better not admit it. I did fade back in for the vows though, even as I subtly handed Izzy the rings. Those were important to Izzy and Mimi, as they had chosen to write their own.  
  
_That, and it might be helpful to know something about this kind of thing for the future *cough*._  
  
Izzy spoke first.  
  
"Mimi, you are my greatest love and my only love. Until I met you I didn't give true love much thought, but since you came into my life, I struggle desperately to find the words to tell you how much I love you - how much I adore you. It is difficult for me to verbalize my feelings for you, because mere words can't begin to express how deep my love truly is.  
  
"I promise to be a companion worthy of your precious friendship.  
  
"I pledge you compassion in good times and bad, encouragement in sickness and health.  
  
"It is my intent that our life together include our large circle of friends and our loving families.  
  
"We'll cherish the memories of our individual pasts, and create out new life as we go along together.  
  
"As we face the future together, I promise to stand by your side.  
  
"I promise to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams, and goals.  
  
"I vow to be there for you always.  
  
"When you fall I will catch you.  
  
"When you cry, I will comfort you.  
  
"When you laugh, I will share your joy.  
  
"Everything I am and everything I have is yours, from this moment forth and for eternity."  
  
And with that, Izzy slipped the ring onto Mimi's finger, and she in turn began to speak.  
  
"Koushiro, since we have been together, you have provided me with strength, security, confidence, honestly, love, and plenty of much needed guidance.  
  
"Where there has been cold, you have brought warmth; where my life was dark, you have brought light. In my darkest trouble, in my coldest silence, I looked for you and you were there.  
  
"You are truly my knight in shining armor. You may not realize it, but you have helped me and saved me in so many was and I love you for that.  
  
"I am honored that you will have me as your wife, and I am proud to accept you as my husband.  
  
"I believe that we were meant to be from the start, and I will always love you with all my heart.  
  
"I accept you as my husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love.  
  
"On this special day, I give to you in the presence of all those in attendance my promise to stay by your side as your wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through good times and bad.  
  
"I promise to love you, comfort you in times of distress… laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live."  
  
And then Mimi slipped the other ring onto Izzy's finger. I wiped a tear out of my eye.  
  
_It's just a spec of dust there… that's all, really._  
  
The priest smiled at them, and spoke, moving through the 'I do's. Like at any other wedding I could imagine, Izzy's, the guy's, voice was nervous and shaking, while Mimi's, the girl's, was clear and true.  
  
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
Izzy carefully lifted the veil and tried for a chaste kiss, but Mimi was obviously having none of it, as she wrapped her arms around him and went for something more passionate. When they came apart three seconds later, Mimi had a better sense of decorum than to let it go on longer, Izzy had a slightly dazed and foolish grin on his face as the crowd cheered.  
  
A little later, we were standing outside, watching the rented limo with the 'Just Married' sign written in soap on the back window, cans clinking, drive off into the afternoon.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Takato pull his glove/digivice out of his pocket and walk carefully behind the chapel. I whispered a quick, probably completely false, explanation to Sora, and followed.  
  
"Takato, wait up!"  
  
He turned, his reddish brown eyes glinting for a moment. He didn't stop, but he did slow enough for me to catch him.  
  
"Oh, hey Tai."  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
He frowned.  
  
"You'll see. I really hope nothing bad happened."  
  
I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"To who?"  
  
"To anyone. BlackGuilmon, you can come out now."  
  
"You said to stay hidden Takatomon!"  
  
"It's okay, it's just me and Tai. Bring our guest out with you."  
  
"Okie dokie!"  
  
And with that, BlackGuilmon came out of the bushes backwards, dragging someone by the seat of his pants. My eyes widened in recognition.  
  
"_Michael?!_"  
  
Takato nodded.  
  
"You can imagine my surprise when BlackGuilmon said he saw him earlier."  
  
I grimaced.  
  
"Well, I'm going to call the police. I imagine they're looking for him."  
  
Takato grinned.  
  
"At least he never got to make an objection."  
  
I laughed as I looked up and dialed the number of the local precinct.   
**To get the answers to your reviews, go to my author's profile, and go join my yahoo group. It's the only way that it can function really.**


	40. Changes

Chapter 37 - Changes  
  
I lay on the couch, passionately kissing TK, before panting as his kisses trailed away from my mouth down my throat. We were alone, so I wasn't too concerned about our current state of dress.  
  
_Or lack there of…_  
  
I grinned impishly to myself.  
  
Until the door opened. TK froze on top of me.  
  
_Mom's not supposed to be back for hours…_  
  
It wasn't mom at the door. It was worse. More specifically, it was Tai.  
  
Tai just stood there for a moment, eyes very, _very_ wide. Then his face turned red and he spun around. Tai didn't start to yell, which scared me. A yelling, screaming Tai I could handle. This new, seemingly calm Tai was something new. When he spoke, his voice was like his countenance. Eerily calm.  
  
"TK, Kari, please get dressed. After that, you should probably leave TK."  
  
I've never seen anyone get dressed and leave faster. I don't think that even BlackGuilmon with a hyper speed card could go that fast. When TK was gone and I was dressed as well, Tai, obviously suppressing something, spoke again.  
  
"Kari, I don't think I can handle this here. Come on, we're going to my place."  
  
We got into Tai's car and drove off to his apartment. On the drive over, Tai concentrated on the road, the only signs of his agitation were his silence and the handprints left on the steering wheel for gripping it too hard. When we got into his apartment, he still hadn't spoken a word; he simply motioned for me to sit on a couch. I sat and began fidgeting.  
  
_Oh boy… What's he thinking? What's he going to do?_  
  
Tai remained standing and began to pace.  
  
"Okay, Kari. I'm trying to do this as calmly as I can. You're a big girl, but you're still my little sister, and I'm trying to come to grips with the fact that you've grown up a little."  
  
I opened my mouth, but he held his hand up to stop me.  
  
"Please, let me finish. You're old enough to make your own decisions, but I still have an obligation to protect you as best I can. So I need to know a few things. I'm not going to ask questions I have no right to know the answers to, but I do need to know a few things, so that I can figure out where to go from here. First, do you have protection?"  
  
I went beet red, I'm sure of it. I nodded weakly, far too embarrassed to speak.  
  
"Two, do you know how everything works? I mean-"  
  
I cut him off before I died from lack of circulation to anywhere but my face.  
  
"I had the same course on it you did, and I had 'the talk' from mom. So you don't have to-"  
  
Tai cut me off then.  
  
"Maybe, but I need to feel like I did something here. I need to say something before things go too far between you two…"  
  
I suddenly found the floor very interesting and ground my foot into the carpet as I mumbled something under my breath. Tai cocked his head at me, and placed a hand behind his ear.  
  
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."  
  
I felt even more blood rush to my face.  
  
"I said… it's too late?"  
  
"Hmmm…"  
  
Tai nodded a few times speculatively as I looked on. Then, his eyes rolled back up into his head, he keeled over backwards and passed out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was dark out as I wandered through the frost-covered park, just remembering what it was like the last time I was here.  
  
_With Joe…_  
  
One of the images burned forever into my mind was Joe standing there on that shore, pleading with me to stay, not understanding that it wasn't _him_ I was frightened of.  
  
It was the monster behind him. With those horrible tusks, and that wicked looking hammer.  
  
I shuddered at the memory.  
  
_Joe didn't - doesn't understand that they can't be trusted. They're terrible._  
  
I sighed again and walked down near the river, and over to the bridge, just thinking of how it used to be back then. Joe was kind thoughtful, and even if he would never admit, one of the wisest people I'd ever encountered.  
  
I remembered how soft his laugh was, and how he'd do anything for a friend. How nothing that happened ever seemed to worry him much, and how confident he seemed even when something did.  
  
_For Joe to have a lapse in judgment like that is… unthinkable…_  
  
I stopped on the bridge and looked out over the water, just thinking for a while, as I had been all day, and most of the time since Joe had left. I turned, with every intention of going straight home.  
  
It was miserable, being there without him.  
  
It was then that I slipped on a patch of ice and fell off the side of the bridge, going straight through the ice and into the freezing water.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_I hate the holidays._  
  
Well, not really, but buying something for Jun is an exercise in futility. The problem was not that I couldn't find anything Jun would like. She would have liked a lot of the things I'd seen. But because I was her boyfriend, I felt obligated to find something… unique. Something rare, something special. Something that simply screamed 'Buy me for Jun'.  
  
Something that she'd treasure for the rest of her life.  
  
_Or, more specifically, something that will make her forget about trying to wheedle wedding proposals out of me._  
  
I wasn't finding anything in any department stores. I'd given up on that early on. Fighting the crowds…  
  
I shuddered at the mere thought of attempting that. Holiday shoppers could turn dangerous at some else getting the last of some item.  
  
_No, malls are definitely a bad idea._  
  
Online shopping wasn't much better. The things there were a better prospect than what was left in the malls, but still not good enough. So now I was looking through those strange little shops that sold odd knick-knacks and assorted oddities.  
  
The store was a very small place, tucked back in a small corner of an equally small shopping center. I glanced at my watch.  
  
_I'd better hurry; this place is going to close soon._  
  
I almost passed right by it. I would have if I hadn't almost tripped over a small toy box.  
  
But it was right there on the floor that I found it.  
  
The absolutely perfect gift.  
  
Something that would make Jun squeal like a schoolgirl, and forget all about the wedding last week.  
  
Stuffed bears are awesome that way.  
  
Laying like it was on the ground, it came up to my knee with grayish-brown fur. But what made it special, was the way it looked, the attitude it projected.  
  
It had two red marks under each eye, and a broad blue belt worn like a sash across its middle. On it's hands were several more belts, and it was wearing a baseball cap of the same color blue, turned backwards, so that the 'BEARS' was facing front, and the picture of a teddy bear's head on the front of the cap was facing back. I grinned like a maniac.  
  
_Perfect._  
  
I picked it up, but while soft, the thing weighed a ton. It was still warm, most likely from the heater, too. I carried it through the cramped but mostly empty rows to the back counter, where the old man who ran the shop was. He looked at the bear carefully.  
  
"Oh ho, so someone's buying that, eh? Most people give up when they experience the weight."  
  
I smiled.  
  
"A little weight isn't going to stop me. I need this present."  
  
The old man smiled.  
  
"Younger sibling?"  
  
"Girlfriend."  
  
He smiled knowingly.  
  
"Ah. Must be a special young lady then."  
  
I just smiled and nodded, paying for the bear, then toting him out to my old car, placing the bear in the back seat.  
  
_I am so glad that's over with._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As the water closed in above my head I panicked, which was never a good thing. I struggled to reach the surface, but I was too weighted down by my coat. I frantically tried to get the coat off, but the zipper was caught and I couldn't get it loose. Blackness started closing in…  
  
But then I was jostled back into alertness by a school of strange fish pushing me up towards the hole where I popped out, and the school ran me over onto dry land, before simply fading from sight.  
  
_What the…_  
  
Then a white head with an shock of orange hair appeared at the hole, shaking a moment to get the water clear.  
  
"Hey, are you…"  
  
He trailed off, looking at me like a ghost. I froze from panic, and because my dip in the ocean had left me too weak to move properly.  
  
_It's one of them…_  
  
It may have been the beginnings of hypothermia, but another voice in my head spoke up.  
  
_Maybe this one's nice. He did just save my life…_  
  
"AHH!"  
  
He seemed to panic more as my vision swam and I passed out.  
  
"Ugghh."  
  
That was the sound I made as I came to. I glanced around, seeing the head I had earlier, attached to body with four fins for appendages. It was sleeping, or at least that was what I assumed from the noises it was making.  
  
I tried to sit up, but my vision blurred, and I was forced to recline again. There was a startled squawk, and I looked down past my feet to see a rather large pink bird. It seemed panicked, which was happening a lot lately, and yelled.  
  
"Ah! Sora, come quick! She's awake!"  
  
With that, a red haired woman around my age came in. When she saw me up, her eyes got wide.  
  
"Are you okay? The doctor said you'll be fine, but…"  
  
I nodded a little. I was a little cold still, and I was pretty weak, but otherwise okay.  
  
"Where?"  
  
The woman, Sora I assumed, blushed.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Sora. You're in my house. After Gomamon found you, he didn't know what to do with you, and brought you here. I called my family doctor."  
  
I looked over at the white… fish… thing, which was beginning to stir a little. He blinked a little, and then saw me.  
  
"Hey, you okay Carmela?"  
  
I froze.  
  
_How…_  
  
Sora seemed just as confused as I did.  
  
"Gomamon, how did you know her name?"  
  
He blushed a little.  
  
"Umm… It's a little… complex…"  
  
Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Gomamon…!"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Fine. She and Joe… well, umm…"  
  
_Joe? How does he know Joe? What's going on?_  
  
Sora's eyes got wide, and then she spun to look at me.  
  
"Oh… my…"  
  
She just stood there staring at me. I was getting a little angry. It wasn't like me, but between my dunking, these people… things, and their mentions of Joe, I was getting a little annoyed.  
  
"What's going on here?!"  
  
Sora blushed.  
  
"Oh. Right. Sorry."  
  
She pointed to the bird.  
  
"That's Biyomon, she's my partner digimon. And this is Gomamon, Joe's partner…"  
  
She seemed to break down a little. Gomamon cleared his throat.  
  
"Um, Carmela, have you seen Joe at all?"  
  
_What? Don't these people…_  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No. I haven't seen Joe ever since that day on the shore when he had that… that… thing with him…"  
  
I trailed off as I realized that that might not be the best thing to say with some of them in the room. Sora mumbled something about soup and left the room, taking Biyomon with her. Gomamon looked indignant.  
  
"That 'thing' was me, I'll have you know!"  
  
I blinked.  
  
"But… how? That guy was huge, and you're…"  
  
Gomamon smiled.  
  
"Small? Yeah, we're small. Until we evolve. Then we get bigger in a hurry. Joe and I were trying to help defeat MetalSeadramon, that big snake in the sky."  
  
Flashes of my mother's death flew through my head.  
  
"I-I don't understand…"  
  
Gomamon grimaced.  
  
"What? You think we're all like MetalSeadramon? I saw some guys shooting other humans on TV the other day. Should I judge you all like that?"  
  
"That's ridiculous. That's only a small percentage of the population causing problems for the majority… Oh."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Yeah. Oh. Most of us just live our lives, back in our world. Some of us are lucky enough to partner with humans and get to come here. But the moment you do that, you're marked. The human becomes a Digidestined, and as Digidestined with partner digimon, we have to watch out for threats to both worlds. Most of the time we can stop them in the digital world. Sometimes, though, like Myotismon all those years ago, they manage to make it here and rip things up. Or Piedmon last year. That was nasty."  
  
I was a little intrigued now, and I began to understand what Joe had been doing, why he had to run off all the time.  
  
_Making sure that no one really got hurt…_  
  
Then something occurred to me.  
  
"You asked if I had seen Joe. Why?"  
  
Gomamon looked troubled at this, and tears welled up in his eyes.  
  
"After that day with MetalSeadramon, and you, well, ran off, Joe wasn't the same… A little after that he just… disappeared. We haven't seen him since."  
  
I just gaped in shock.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning I got a call.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
[Kari? Have you seen TK?]  
  
"Matt? No… I haven't seen TK. Not since last night, anyways…"  
  
Matt sounded frantic on the line. And justly so, too.  
  
[Kari. TK never made it home last night.] 


	41. Open Season

Chapter 38 - Open Season  
  
With the ending credits rolling, I started to get up off the couch. Truth be told, I couldn't even remember the name of the movie we had just watched. Again, I _tried_ to rise, but Jun pulled me back. She put on a pouting face as she looked at me.  
  
"Maaatt. You just got here, why do you have to go now?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Digidestined meeting."  
  
She frowned. Obviously that wasn't good enough.  
  
"You have those all the time, can't you blow off just one of them?"  
  
I sighed and sat back down, closing my eyes.  
  
"Any other time, yes, I'd e-mail someone and ask if I really had to be there. But not this time. This time…"  
  
Jun frowned, more concerned than angry this time, and placed a hand on my leg.  
  
"What's going on, Matt?"  
  
"TK's missing, Jun. I need to find him."  
  
She launched into a hug then.  
  
"I'm being selfish, aren't I?"  
  
"You didn't know Jun, but now I really should go…"  
  
She got a little peeved then as she thought of something, and swatted my arm.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"  
  
I stopped for a moment, stumped.  
  
_Why didn't I tell her?_  
  
"I-I think that I needed some time to calm down about this, and if I'd said anything… I wouldn't have been able to get it out of my head. Not that this worked anyways…"  
  
Jun got up and kissed my forehead.  
  
"Well, up now. The sooner you go get the little squirt back, the sooner I get the boyfriend I _like_ back."  
  
I smiled, and went to the door, then paused and looked back.  
  
"Wait. Come out to the car with me."  
  
She got up with me, putting on her coat as she followed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
I led her out and down to my car, opening the back door, and lifting a heavy box out.  
  
"Here. Let me carry it up for you, it's a bit heavy."  
  
Her eyes brightened at the size of the box.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
I smiled, a bit sadly given the circumstances.  
  
"It's supposed to be a surprise. I thought I'd give it too you now though, all things considered."  
  
She grinned giddily.  
  
"Yay! This is going to be so great! I don't care what it is, I love you for it already, I can just tell. Now go get your brother and hurry back."  
  
I grinned ruefully as I worked the box into her house and set it down next to the tree.  
  
_Only Jun would refer to TK being missing like he went to the store for milk and cheer me up by doing it._  
  
I drove off to the meeting with considerably heightened spirits.  
  
_It won't be that hard to find him, right?_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are we there yet, Cody?"  
  
I groaned.  
  
"No, we're not there yet, Upamon. It'll only be a little bit more, I promise."  
  
"Great!"  
  
This was repeated at least twice more before we reached our destination, Tai's apartment. Wandering in, I found the place already packed. Sora looked up, saw us, and smiled.  
  
"Hey, Cody! You're a little early, we're still waiting on some people."  
  
I nodded, and took Upamon over to a table with the other digimon, and conveniently, some snacks. Then I nearly jumped out of my skin as the door banged open, and Kari came storming in. She went immediately to Tai, and for a moment I'm pretty sure her eyes caught fire.  
  
"TAI! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"  
  
Tai looked completely mystified.  
  
"Wha…? What'd I do?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"The last two people to see TK last night were you and me. I know I didn't do anything, but you on the other hand, had plenty of reason to… to…"  
  
Then she collapsed crying, and Tai caught her.  
  
"I didn't do anything Kari."  
  
She sniffed.  
  
"I know… I just… I…"  
  
He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.  
  
"Shhh… It's okay, we'll find him, I promise."  
  
He guided her over to a chair and set her down.  
  
"All right is everyone here?"  
  
Sora shook her head.  
  
"Nope, Takato-"  
  
Tai grumbled.  
  
"Why is it he never makes it to any of these?"  
  
I had wondered that same thing myself several times, but Sora held her hand up.  
  
"Ken's not here either, so it's likely they're stuck in traffic or something."  
  
Tai looked only slightly mollified.  
  
"Call them, make sure they're on their way."  
  
Sora dialed, and we all waited.  
  
"Hello? … You guys on your way? … Yeah, that's good; Tai's having a… what? What happened? … Oh… no… All right, I'll tell them. Thanks. It could have been weeks before we'd known other wise. … Just get here fast, okay?"  
  
She hung up, looking significantly more drawn than she did before calling. Every eye was on her.  
  
"Ken and Takato are on their way, but… There's been another disappearance. Mimi and Izzy's resort was attacked. Everyone but them was found, and we can only assume that Palmon and Tentomon were taken with them…"  
  
The room was pretty much silent after that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A week had passed since the meeting at Tai's, and I was once more questioning Azulongmon about what was going on.  
  
"Are you absolutely _sure_ that you have no idea of what's happening? Tai, Ken, Yolie, Kari, TK, Izzy and Mimi, not to mention Joe, are missing now! Why the hell is it just slipping past you like this?"  
  
Azulongmon's clouds flashed, and lightning passed between them.  
  
"I have absolutely no idea Takato. It's making me just as angry as it is you. What do you know about it?"  
  
"Only what I've told you. BlackJyarimon senses the attack, but by the time we get there, it's already done, with no evidence that they were given a chance to strike back."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Go back. Keep the remaining Digidestined together at any cost. Don't let any of them out of your sight. See if you can lure the attacker out into the open."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'm not sure if it'll work, but it's worth a shot."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"NETWORK GRENADE!"  
  
"VEE LASER!"  
  
X-Veemon didn't stand a chance. He went down to the supped up ultimate level. Not that it needed it. The black haired girl smiled confidently from where she stood over Matt and Gabumon, who never had the chance to digivolve.  
  
"Again, but softly. He doesn't want them damaged…"  
  
"NETWORK GRENADE!"  
  
I ran for Veemon. A Digidestined shouldn't run from a fight, he runs to his digimon. I was about ten feet from him when the blast caught me, and I saw no more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I wandered through the park again, shivering as I passed where I fell in, but I needed to assimilate everything that I had learned from Gomamon, Joe's digimon…  
  
_It's just so strange… Joe was fighting even then?_  
  
Then I laughed as I remembered all the veiled references you made towards it.  
  
_Should I be angry with him for…_  
  
I shook my head.  
  
_No. Joe did the right thing by not telling me. I couldn't have handled it then, and actually didn't when I found out the hard way.  
  
And that doesn't matter right now anyways. He's gone because I was stupid and judgmental._  
  
I walked through a grove of trees, thinking that was safer than the water at this point, examining the snow covered ground.  
  
"ATOMIC BURST!"  
  
I looked up, seeing a massive amount of energy heading towards me.  
  
"LOOK OUT MISS!"  
  
Then I was roughly tackled to the side by what looked like a horned runaway from a kendo club. The little guy rolled to his feet and drew his kendo stick against what looked like a golden armored Rhino. The small one who had just defended me attacked.  
  
"THUNDER KOTE!"  
  
Electricity ran up his blade, and he swung, causing a small wave of electricity to hit the rhino-thing. It did nothing to the rhino. The rhino spoke.  
  
"You know, you'd be amazed what properly grounded armor can do for a guy."  
  
The kendo kid was unperturbed, however.  
  
"Fool of a Rhinomon! No amount of grounding shall prevent me from defending yon maiden from your savagery! Your armor shall avail you not!"  
  
I had to admit that the little guy was cute in his own way, even from my position on the ground, as he jumped up and down in his anger.  
  
"HOT HEAD!"  
  
The little guy's head seemed to glow, especially around the horns, and he launched himself at the Rhinomon for a headbutt.  
  
He made an impressive 'ping' as he bounced off. He rolled to his feet, though, and I used the time wisely to hide behind the tree. The Rhino sighed.  
  
"You know, I'm not really all that sure why Murmuxmon wanted you deleted. Other than the fact that you're so annoying."  
  
"I'm not annoying! Thou shalt retract that statement, or we shall duel again!"  
  
Rhinomon's jaw dropped. Then he shook his head to recover himself.  
  
"All right, that's it. SPIRIT BLADE!"  
  
The little guy tried, he really did, but the attack hit him like a cement truck, and he went flying, slamming into the tree I was hiding behind. Rhinomon closed in for the kill. I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable.  
  
_Am I really going to sit here and let this happen right in front of me?_  
  
I huddled in agonizing decision for a second, then ran around the tree, placing myself in between the two. The Rhinomon looked confused.  
  
"Get out of the way girl, or you'll get what he does."  
  
I gulped, sweat pouring down my face despite the weather. He charged his attack, his horn glowing. Then something else happened.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to hit girls? Fore!"  
  
Rhinomon, not understanding, looked around. Unfortunately for him, he didn't look behind him at the large turtle/walrus.  
  
"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"  
  
True to the call, a large hammer swung in and knocked Rhinomon off of the ground, out of the grove, and probably out of the park.  
  
Then, he abruptly glowed, and shrunk back to the now familiar form of Gomamon, who fell to the ground, looking tired, but having a huge grin on his face.  
  
"Sorry, can't maintain that long without Joe…"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"At least you were here… Thanks."  
  
His smile only got wider, and he started walking over, looking at my fallen savior.  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
I looked at him.  
  
"Will he be okay?"  
  
Gomamon shrugged.  
  
"Yeah. Kotemon here probably some food and rest, and he'll be good as new."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"So… um, shouldn't you be taking him back?"  
  
Gomamon blinked.  
  
"Back where? I don't know where he came from."  
  
"Well, maybe at least back to Sora's…"  
  
Gomamon looked up at me.  
  
"Hey, it wasn't _her_ life he saved, was it?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An unusual sound echoed through this place of infinite darkness.  
  
An unusual event was taking place within this place of infinite darkness.  
  
Daemon was laughing.  
  
Daemon was… happy?  
  
Well, no.  
  
But Daemon _was_ extremely pleased with his new servant. While somewhat lazy, this prompted her to place efficiency ahead of ego when executing her orders. This was a very good thing as far as Daemon was concerned.  
  
Daemon was also pleased by his recent ascension back to the mega level. Back to nearly where he was before the boy, and that was always how the one who had defeated him was referred, had nearly killed him.  
  
He waved to a small pool with a single arm, opening a line of communication between realms, easy enough now that he was nearing his full spectrum of power again. A figure appeared in the pool, and didn't look pleased at Daemon's appearance.  
  
"What is it _now_, Daemon? I have worlds to conquer."  
  
Daemon smirked.  
  
"How is my little pet working out for you?"  
  
The figure snorted.  
  
"You know that yourself. What you want to know is how much I would have told you. And you know the answer to _that_."  
  
Daemon grunted.  
  
"Whatever you wanted me to know, yes. I'm familiar with your tactics."  
  
The figure in the pool allowed itself a small smile.  
  
"And an amazing thing that the current generation of Digidestined _isn't_. You'd think that the older ones would have told them the stories."  
  
Daemon grunted.  
  
"The only one of the old ones left is _him_. And he doesn't even know you're here to tell them, Murmuxmon. But beware the one I told you of Murmuxmon."  
  
"Yes, yes. She is avoiding him at all costs. I can't afford to tip the hand, as it were, at this stage."  
  
The smile on Murmuxmon's face grew oilier.  
  
"But, really? Imagine, the only one left is him. Makes things so much easier."  
  
Daemon smirked as well.  
  
"Yes. Yes it does."  
  
And laugher echoed in the place of infinite darkness. 


	42. The Good, the Bad, and Jun Motomiya

Chapter 39 - The Good, the Bad, and Jun Motomiya  
  
I knocked on the door of the Motomiya residence.  
  
_This isn't going to be easy._  
  
Jun answered the door, looking down at me. She blinked.  
  
"Hey aren't you one of Davis's little friends… Cody?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"May I come in for a moment?"  
  
She nodded and stepped back.  
  
"Davis isn't here at the moment you know-"  
  
I cut her off before she got too far as I walked in.  
  
"I know… earlier today… Matt and Davis were attacked. Now they're missing too."  
  
I heard a short gasp, and turned back towards her, where there were tears gathered in her eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
I looked down at my feet.  
  
"We don't even know who's doing it… but we're trying. You have to believe that…"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"I know… I know you are… Just… please, give me some time to deal with this, okay?"  
  
I nodded a little uncertainly, then made a polite exit. I looked down in my arms where Upamon had remained silent the entire time.  
  
"I don't like this Upamon…"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Not much we can do right now though Cody. We just have to play this out. We don't have any leads whatsoever."  
  
I nodded, and we kept walking.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji,  
  
I don't know quite how to say this, I can't even think of a way to break it easily, so I'll simply come out and say it.  
  
Ken is missing. He isn't at a sleep over, like I said. It was wrong to lie about it, but at the time I had firmly believed that he would have been found and back by now.  
  
I no longer believe this.  
  
This is not to say that I believe all hope is lost. I just believe that it will take longer than I can successfully cover it up.  
  
Rest assured that those of us left are looking. We will not give up. We will not fail. We will not rest until those that were stolen from us are returned safe and sound.  
  
To that end, you may not see me for some time either. I'm going out to find him, and I'm not coming back without him.  
  
Takato_  
  
I sighed and placed the note down on the kitchen counter. I paused before going out the door, getting a funny feeling, as I took one last look around the apartment.  
  
_It feels like I'm running away somehow…  
  
Of course, that's what I'm best at, isn't it?_  
  
I was fixing the apartment in my mind, like a man who would never see it again. There were slightly disturbing similarities to when I looked around the campsite before coming here. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.  
  
_That kind of thinking won't do me any good. I just need to get out of here and find them, that's all._  
  
I walked down the street towards the flower shop, hoping to recruit Sora, Cody and Gomamon into coming with me. I twisted my mouth in annoyance.  
  
_Even with all of us this is going to be hard. Even if I reveal ChaosGallantmon and have Grani scout around as well, we still wouldn't have nearly the manpower we need for this kind of search. When Sora was missing we had the full complement of Digidestined looking for her, and still only found the fortress by luck.  
  
*Takatomon!*  
  
*What is it BlackJyarimon?*  
  
*Armadillomon digivolved…*  
  
*Where?*_  
  
BlackJyarimon jumped out of my hood then, to the shock of a few passersby.  
  
**Flash  
Digivolution_  
  
BlackJyarimon Flash Digivolve to… BlackGuilmon!**  
  
Some of the said passersby started running at this, while BlackGuilmon took off in the same direction we were going.  
  
_The flower shop…_  
  
BlackGuilmon shook me out of it by calling out.  
  
"Come on, Takatomon! Hurry!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I walked down the street, Upamon in my arms. Now that I was done breaking the news, I needed to get down to the flower shop. We were supposed to be sticking together after all.  
  
I was just out side it when the door exploded outwards.  
  
I ran in, and was shocked to find a portal closing.  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Too late."  
  
I spun to find a smirking girl with black hair step out of the shadows. I gaped for a moment.  
  
"NETWORK GRENADE!"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Upamon Digivolve to… Armadillomon!**  
  
Rather than try to take the attack, Armadillomon knocked us both backwards out the door as the attack came sailing in from the street. The front of the building seemed to cave out from the attack - there wasn't much left of it to destroy. I used my years of Kendo practice and rolled to my feet almost instantly, bringing Armadillomon up with me and placing him down on his feet. I brought out my digivice.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
"Right Cody!"  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Armadillomon Digivolve to… Anklyomon!  
  
Anklyomon Digivolve to… Scorpiomon!**  
  
I hopped onto Scorpiomon's back, hoping to take the fight to a less populated area. The girl had other plans though.  
  
"Infermon, GO!"  
  
"SPIDER SHOOTER!"  
  
The energy pellets impacted, but thanks to Scorpiomon's armored shell, did little damage. I was a little worried what a direct impact from a couple of those grenades would do though.  
  
"Looks like we've got no choice Scorpiomon. Let her have it!"  
  
"Right, Cody! TAIL BLADE!"  
  
Infermon, who had just emerged from the shadows, jumped back in, his high agility enabling him to evade the assault. We backed off some more, still hoping to draw this into another area, or at least attract some help.  
  
"NETWORK GRENADE!"  
  
Scorpiomon tired to dodge, but since he had to watch out for me too, the attack scored a glancing blow. The girl just scowled, and motioned for Infermon to continue the assault. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a deck of cards.  
  
I suddenly thought of the things that I'd seen Takato do with cards, and blanched.  
  
"Scorpiomon! We're in trouble! We need to get out of here!"  
  
He turned to try and fly away, but suddenly Infermon was halfway up a building twenty feet in front of us in the direction we wanted to go.  
  
"NETWORK GRENADE!"  
  
The attack struck, and the last thing I remembered was Scorpiomon diving for me as I blacked out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I just stared in shock at the path of destruction carved into the area where the flower shop used to be. The lower floor of the building looked even worse than it had after that Mummymon had hit it. Pieces of the front of the building were littered in the street. I looked down at BlackGuilmon.  
  
_*Can you feel Armadillomon anymore?*  
  
*No… Biyomon isn't here either…*_  
  
I broke the connection and swore softly under my breath. Sora should have been here at least.  
  
_That means they got both of them… I'm… alone…_  
  
I growled under my breath. BlackGuilmon tugged on my shirt and I looked down. He smiled at me, trying to cheer me up, reminding me that I wasn't alone, and that I couldn't be alone as long as he was still there with me.  
  
_*Grani.*  
  
*I'm here Takato.*  
  
*Meet us when we get to the digital world. We need to have a long talk with Azulongmon.*  
  
*Understood.*_  
  
I looked down at BlackGuilmon again.  
  
"Come on boy. We have work to do."  
  
"Right Takatomon!"  
  
With that, we turned and walked away from the scene, looking for some secluded place to activate the portal.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was about a half hour later, and BlackGuilmon, Grani, and I were in conference with Azulongmon. Gennai started.  
  
"Well, the good news is that we've found them. The bad news… well, we can't get into the place. It repulses the power of the sovereigns and seems to be… suppressing… digivolution."  
  
"Like a dark spire you mean."  
  
Gennai nodded.  
  
"Very much like that. This seems a bit more advanced though. I'd wager it'd block armor digivolutions as well…"  
  
I frowned, but Azulongmon had his own idea to offer.  
  
"If it's doing that then it's probably a simpler method instead. I'd imagine that something in the area is simply blocking catalyst type abilities."  
  
My frown deepened a bit then.  
  
"So… if we digivolve outside the barrier we should be fine, right?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"In theory."  
  
I looked up at the sky for a moment, thinking.  
  
"Well, the theory is all we've got. We'll have to risk it. But…"  
  
Gennai looked over.  
  
"But what?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Look. Even I can't do this alone."  
  
Azulongmon nodded, and then gestured to Gennai.  
  
"I realize that. That's why I had Gennai find us two new Digidestined."  
  
Gennai handed me a folded piece of paper.  
  
"Here they are Takato. Their names, addresses, and partners are on that paper."  
  
I arched an eyebrow, then unfolded it and looked at the first choice.  
  
"Let's see here… I vaguely remember hearing that name somewhere… can't place where, but no matter. Now number two…"  
  
I read the name.  
  
I blinked.  
  
I read it again.  
  
_Yep, still says the same thing._  
  
I looked up at Azulongmon, who was trying desperately not to laugh, a disbelieving look on my face.  
  
I looked at the name on the paper again.  
  
I looked at Gennai this time, who wasn't even trying to hide it as he rolled around on the ground, laughing.  
  
I looked back at the paper, and read the name yet again, still not believing what I was looking at.  
  
I looked up at the both of them.  
  
"YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR GOD DAMN MINDS!"  
  
I felt a tug at the corner of my mind.  
  
_*Who is it Takatomon?*  
  
*Jun.*  
  
*Scary lady?*  
  
*Yes.*_  
  
BlackGuilmon could take on mega digimon without batting an eye. He calls Jun the scary lady.  
  
_And now she has a digimon…_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Matt…  
  
Come on Jun, snap out of it, you can do it._  
  
I pulled myself up off the couch. Dwelling on this wouldn't get Matt back. I looked around at the room, my eyes finally coming to rest on the clock.  
  
_Mom and Dad won't be home for a few hours…_  
  
Then a brilliant idea popped into my head.  
  
_I know! I'll go over to Matt's place and spruce it up! So he'll have somewhere nice to come home to when he gets back…_  
  
I smiled then. Matt had invited me over for Christmas Eve this year which was only a few days away, so that I could spend the day itself with family. Fixing up his apartment and having everything ready was really appealing right now.  
  
_I mean, he'll be back by then for sure, right?_  
  
With a firm plan of action in mind, I began humming to myself as I made to get ready. I was almost out the door when I spotted Matt's gift to me next to the tree.  
  
I picked it up to take it with me, immediately noting how heavy it was. If I was going to have Christmas at Matt's, then I wanted to open his present there. It seemed like the right thing to do. I bore with the weight, though. It seemed the least I could do.  
  
On my out, I closed the door with my foot, and lost my balance, falling over. The box tumbled down across the lawn.  
  
"Oww…"  
  
I started get up, but paused as I heard a voice.  
  
"Hmm… I wonder how long a nap I… What the?! HELP! I'M BLIND! I'M BLIND!"  
  
I just lay there wondering if I had some sort of head injury to explain this. This was nuts even for me. Then I goggled as a furry fist punched a hole into the box, followed closely by a gray-furred, blue garbed bear.  
  
My eyes widened.  
  
_Matt got me a digimon?_  
  
I grinned as I imagined Matt and I side by side, crushing evil digimon as they appeared.  
  
_He really does want me to a part of his life!_  
  
I ended my giddy fantasies and studied the little guy who was currently trying to get the box down from his waist. I was up and over to him in a flash, pulling him out of the box and into a giant hug.  
  
"You're sooo cute!"  
  
The little guy seemed slightly confused.  
  
"Thanks for the help… but who are you?"  
  
I grinned as a small bright light settled between us.  
  
"I'm Jun. I'm your Digidestined."  
  
His returning grin was instantaneous.  
  
"COOL!" 


	43. Gaining Power

Chapter 40 - Gaining Power  
  
Deciding on taking the safer path first, I went to the person whose name I only vaguely remembered, as opposed to Jun.  
  
_I'll need the backup for that one._  
  
BlackGuilmon trailing behind me like a loyal dog… er, dragon, we made our way to an upscale apartment. BlackGuilmon hid himself in the shadows while I was knocking on the door listed on the address. A girl who appeared to be a few years older than me answered the door, brown hair drawn into a bun on the back of her head. She looked at me quizzically.  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
I looked down at the sheet again.  
  
"Are you Ms. Carmela Shultz?"  
  
She paused.  
  
"Yes…?"  
  
I smiled and extended my hand.  
  
"Takato Matsuki. This may sound a bit strange, but I was told you have a digimon?"  
  
She blinked, then stuttered.  
  
"W-What makes you think that?"  
  
My turn to blink.  
  
"BlackGuilmon…?"  
  
He stepped calmly out of the shadows, and she drew in her breath sharply. Then there was a voice from inside.  
  
"Carmela? What's wrong?"  
  
_Now why would Gomamon be… Oh. Right._  
  
Now I remembered where I'd heard her name before.  
  
"Gomamon!"  
  
BlackGuilmon slammed into me, running into the apartment. I rolled over on her doorstep.  
  
"Sorry. He does that sometimes…"  
  
Then I heard yet another voice from inside.  
  
"Back! Back foul dragon! THUNDER KOTE!"  
  
_Oh no…_  
  
I scrambled to my feet, past the shell-shocked Carmela, and into her living room. BlackGuilmon was cowering on the floor while a Kotemon was whacking him in the head with his sword, Gomamon laughing hysterically.  
  
"Takatomon, help me!  
  
"Kotemon, stop that!"  
  
He looked up and past me, at the now recovered Carmela.  
  
"But miss, it's a dragon! And a virus to boot! You need to be defended."  
  
I groaned.  
  
"The only things you have to defend from him are bread stores…"  
  
Gomamon laughed.  
  
"Yeah. He can put a dozen bakeries out of business before lunch."  
  
I looked over at Carmela.  
  
"Um, sorry about this…"  
  
She smiled a little hesitantly, but motioned for me to sit down. She went into the kitchen, and came out with some glasses of water for us.  
  
"May I ask what this is about?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Gomamon, you're not gonna like this either… Sora and Cody were kidnapped today."  
  
Gomamon blanched.  
  
"You mean… we're… it?"  
  
"Well, almost."  
  
I looked over at Carmela.  
  
"We were kind of hoping that you might consider coming with us?"  
  
She looked at me goggle eyed.  
  
"Me?!"  
  
"Well, Gomamon and I can't do it alone, and since the other person coming with us is Jun…"  
  
Gomamon promptly sprayed the room with his water. I chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, that was about my reaction."  
  
She looked down for a moment.  
  
"We're going to find Joe?"  
  
"And the others, yes."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Okay, I'll go."  
  
Kotemon stepped up.  
  
"And I will defend ye, miss."  
  
I smiled as a glowing light appeared between them and became a small squarish digivice.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I was feeling quite pleased with myself as I dragged my latest catch into Murmuxmon's fortress. The mega digimon looked up from the table he was at as I entered the room.  
  
"Hmmm. Got the last one there?"  
  
"Of course. I don't understand why he won't just let me take out the Matsuki kid."  
  
Murmuxmon looked down at me.  
  
"I understand quite well. You are simply no match for him. He is from the southern quadrant as well."  
  
I snorted.  
  
"Oh come on. How much of a problem can he be if I warp Keramon?"  
  
His eyes narrowed.  
  
"Plenty. You simply don't have the strength to stand up to him. He'd feel you coming, and then decimate you."  
  
"Humph. I still think I can take him."  
  
"That is your opinion… and your mistake. Now, to other matters. Show me this one."  
  
I grumbled a bit, but had Infermon dump the boy in front of him. He looked at him for a second, and then looked troubled. His face hardened, and he started barking orders.  
  
"Put this one in isolation, and watch him. When he awakes, question him. I want a report on every aspect of him, no matter how trivial the detail."  
  
I narrowed my eyes.  
  
"Why?"  
  
He sneered.  
  
"The why is not for you to know. You do not need to understand these orders, you simply have to follow them. You may tell your master of this, I care not. He may ask me himself. Go."  
  
When I made no move to comply, he snarled.  
  
"NOW!"  
  
I went.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I glanced around idly as we walked up the steps to Jun's house.  
  
_This will not be pleasant._  
  
A glance behind me proved that everyone was still behind me. Carmela looked nervous, while Kotemon kept peering into dark alleys and looking at people suspiciously. BlackJyarimon was thankfully back in my hood, and Gomamon in Carmela's bag, which reminded me creepily of Joe's bag from the first season. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  
  
Jun answered the door looking… strange. Even for her. She was dressed in camouflage gear, with a heavy backpack and a green beret.  
  
"Uh…"  
  
She smiled.  
  
"So do I get to go on a mission now?"  
  
My right eye twitched. There are times, I swear, that the only thing that keeps me from breaking down and crying in frustration is my pride. A Bearmon strode up beside her, also wearing a backpack.  
  
_Oh no…_  
  
I was afraid to ask, but had to anyways.  
  
"Um, hi Jun. Uh, what's in the packs?"  
  
Three seconds later, we were covered in miscellaneous camping gear, and food which was currently being mysteriously sucked into my hood.  
  
"Kotemon, no!"  
  
"But they tried to hurt you miss! I must defend you from the oddly shaped Garbagemon!"  
  
A look behind me showed Carmela holding Kotemon back from attacking.  
  
_This is a nightmare._  
  
"Well, Jun, I was planning on asking you to come with us, but, um, this is a bit much. We're not going camping after all."  
  
She frowned.  
  
"Matt's told me all about when he was in the digital world."  
  
I groaned.  
  
"Look, this isn't like then. We're going in less than a day. I'm pretty sure I know where they're being held. We don't need to bring all this. We're going to give you guys a few days training, and then we'll just go marching in. We'll have plenty of food where we're going."  
  
She blinked.  
  
"Oh. Sorry."  
  
Carmela cleared her throat.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you sure that a few days training will be enough?"  
  
"Yes. Absolutely. Most of the training any Digidestined gets is a sort of 'trial by fire' anyways. I'm just hoping to give you some idea of what you're doing before we go in."  
  
_And see if there are a few places I can conveniently use the catalyst too…_  
  
She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"And then what?"  
  
"We pray."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Why did this have to happen?_  
  
Mimi and Izzy were on their honeymoon when they were kidnapped.  
  
_Kidnapped!_  
  
I slammed my fist down on the table in frustration. Lou raised a calming hand.  
  
"Calmly Maria. Let's settle down and talk about this…"  
  
I gave him an incredulous look.  
  
"Mimi's missing, and you want to sit here and _talk_?!"  
  
"We can't do anything unless we decide-"  
  
"What's there to decide?! We go in, find her, and kick the crap out of whatever creep is holding them hostage!"  
  
Phil tried to calm me down, a little nervous.  
  
"Now honey, we just-"  
  
"Stuff it Phil!"  
  
Lou let out a polite cough.  
  
"Please. If you would let me finish, I was going to say that we have to decide where to begin looking for them. I had assumed that going after them was assumed."  
  
I blushed and sat back down.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"You're worried. It's normal, but please try to keep it under control."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"BEAR FIST!"  
  
Bearmon's fist thudded into Kotemon's blade, but Kotemon was knocked back, allowing Bearmon to follow through.  
  
"BEAR ROLL!"  
  
I winced as the somersaulting bear slammed into him, throwing him back. I looked down at him.  
  
"Come on, Kotemon. This is important. I can't find Joe without you. And whether I like or not, that means we have to fight. Just remember that this is practice."  
  
He nodded, and got up.  
  
"Do not worry! I shall uphold your honor!"  
  
I felt a little worried as he ran in against Bearmon. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Takato watching form our left.  
  
"THUNDER KOTE!"  
  
Kotemon's attack drew my attention back down to the field. Bearmon was twitching from the electricity, allowing Kotemon to get in a few hits with his sword. Then there was a beeping from Jun's digivice, as a glow engulfed Bearmon.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Bearmon Digivolve to… Grizzmon!**  
  
Kotemon stood his ground. I had a bad feeling remembering his fight against Rhinomon.  
  
"That shall not help you! HOT HEAD!"  
  
His head glowed, and he was about to head butt Grizzmon, but Grizzmon was a bit too much.  
  
"MAUL ATTACK!"  
  
A massive paw swung out, sending Kotemon flying. He hit the ground hard.  
  
"Kotemon! Are you alright?"  
  
He nodded slowly, getting up.  
  
"I am thankful for the concern, milady, but you should retreat until yon savage beast is dealt with."  
  
He rolled to his feet again, a little shaky this time, but still ran forwards towards his enemy.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
Kotemon swung his sword to deflect the unexpected attack, even as Grizzmon looked on surprised. The fireball flew right through his sword lighting both it and him on fire as he ran around in circles trying to put it out. Finally he jumped into the stream. He came out, his head glowing red hot.  
  
"You… you… conniving…!"  
  
Before I could stop him, he was rushing BlackGuilmon. I didn't know what Takato was doing either, but I didn't think he'd _really_ try to kill us. He'd had plenty of other chances to do it if he wanted to.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
Kotemon Digivolve to… Yasyamon!**  
  
"DOUBLE STRIKE!"  
  
Takato drew and swiped a card.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Power Activate!**  
  
BlackGuilmon caught both swords easily. Kotemon raged.  
  
"Unhand my weapons you demonic dragon!"  
  
Takato smiled.  
  
"Got you to digivolve, didn't it?"  
  
Yasyamon blinked, then stopped struggling, and BlackGuilmon let his swords go.  
  
"You mean…?"  
  
I smiled and approached Yasyamon as Takato rolled his eyes and spoke.  
  
"You were holding back because it was practice. That's not necessarily bad, but it doesn't force you to push your limits. Jun got Bearmon to digivolve because she was giving it her all. Even if it was practice."  
  
Yasyamon nodded.  
  
"I… I will remember that."  
  
I put my hand on his shoulder, he was now about my height.  
  
"I'll do my best too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
_Please be okay…_  
  
Sora was unconscious beneath me, and I was getting more than a little worried. She had yet to regain consciousness from when she was brought in.  
  
That was yesterday.  
  
"Is she going to be okay, Joe?"  
  
I looked over to Tai.  
  
"I'm not sure. I don't think it's a concussion, but I'm not too sure of _anything_ right now."  
  
I looked down at Sora carefully, examining her as I absently scratched at my shaggy beard. I had been brought in here more than three months ago, drunk out of my mind. I had had more than enough time for it to clear since then. I sighed as I let her eye slide shut again.  
  
"Well, I don't think there's anything immediately wrong with her. Probably just knocked unconscious."  
  
Tai nodded, and he gathered her head into his lap. He smiled at me then.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Joe. I just wish the circumstances were better."  
  
I smiled a little then too.  
  
"Yeah. I… I think I needed it though."  
  
When Tai looked at me worried, I hurried to correct myself.  
  
"Not the drinking binge, that wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done, but the time alone… that I needed. At least I can get up in the morning now."  
  
He nodded, and stroked Sora's head. We both smiled as she stirred, and I got up to leave them with some privacy.  
  
Davis was curled up in a ball, snoring loudly as he slept in the predawn light. TK and Kari were asleep against each other, as were Ken and Yolie, and Izzy and Mimi. I smiled a little to myself.  
  
_I really wish I had been with it enough to make the wedding._  
  
Matt was still awake though, and looking out the single barred window. He spoke without turning around.  
  
"You scared us you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Look, just… don't do it again, okay?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
Matt flicked his hand up to his face and wiped away what looked suspiciously like a tear. I didn't press him on, just enjoying the sentiment. He'd deny it anyways. 


	44. The Players

Chapter 41 - The Players  
  
I groaned and wiped the sweat from my face. Phil put his arm around me, but I shrugged it off, but smiled at him, not wanting the additional body heat. I was used to cold, I live in New York after all, and it's winter there now, so wandering through a hot stretch of rocks was a little fast in the temperature change department for me.  
  
Mimi had once told me that Azulongmon lived in a valley in the great grassland on the continent of server. Azulongmon knowing anything was the only lead we had, and this was the only clue to his location. But it was better than nothing, so here we were.  
  
I groaned again.  
  
"I can't believe how hot it is out here!"  
  
Phil grinned at me, and I could tell I wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth.  
  
"Geeze, women are never happy. If they aren't too hot, they're too cold… though a hot woman isn't necessarily a bar thing…"  
  
I smacked him on the arm to shut him up, but let it go at that, simply rolling my eyes as we moved on. There was a groan from Steve's arms, where SnowAgumon was resting.  
  
_Poor guy, this heat isn't doing him any good._  
  
Lou's Otamamon wasn't quite as disabled, but the heat still wasn't doing him any favors. Fortunately for me, Elecmon was good to go, and Phil's Muchomon was actually enjoying it.  
  
Lou, who was a little ways ahead, called us over, smiling a little, and pointed at a hole in the ground.  
  
"If we can find a way down there, it may make and ideal place to rest for the moment, expecially for those of us whose digimon are… susceptible to the current weather conditions."  
  
We collectively rolled our eyes at Lou's different way of saying things, and made our way over. It would be good to get off our feet for a bit.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I ran down the street, looking down at my watch.  
  
_I'm late!_  
  
With my little 'boot camp' now complete, this was the day that I was taking Jun, Carmela, and their partners into the digital world to try to get the others out.  
  
And I was late, running down the sidewalk looking at my watch. And if there's one constant in my, it's that bad things happen the second I stop paying attention or let my guard down.  
  
I slammed into what felt like a brick wall, and was thrown backwards, landing on my butt. Looking forward, I saw a white pair of slacks. Looking up, this continued into a white muscle-shirt, covered by a blood-red jacket. This was topped off by a red headband just below the wild blond hair.  
  
_Dominic…_  
  
Blue eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
_Not good._  
  
"Cullen, Ryong…"  
  
His two goons walked up behind me as always, trapping me where I was. I nervously scratched the back of my head.  
  
"Heh heh… Um, hey Dominic…"  
  
His eyes narrowed.  
  
"Matsuki."  
  
"Um, look, I _really_ don't have time for this… can I come back later?"  
  
He smirked, and I felt my blood boil, BlackJyarimon growling in my head.  
  
"I don't think so, Matsuki. Hold him guys. I want to give him a small taste of what's to come."  
  
He took off the jacket, and readied himself. What happened next is a little weird. Instead of the other way around like it usually was, BlackJyarimon's emotions started influencing mine. As Dominic's fist closed in for my head, I ducked and twisted in an attempt to get away. This caught the two holding me off guard enough that it pulled one of the two of them into the path of Dominic's fist.  
  
In the ensuing confusion, I got up and made a run for it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I groaned as I came awake. My head was splitting, and I couldn't remember much. I seemed to be in some kind of room, strapped down to something upright, leaving me staring dazedly across the room. I was pretty sure the walls were metal, but again, my head was swimming, so it was hard to say for certain.  
  
After a moment it hit me, and I remembered seeing Scorpiomon come for me as I fell.  
  
"Armadillomon…?"  
  
My voice was weak and slurred, but someone heard. Someone who was not Armadillomon.  
  
"Oh, awake are we? Finally. Let's get down to business."  
  
_The girl…_  
  
"Where's… Armadillomon?"  
  
She scowled, but answered.  
  
"In a holding cell, with all of your friend's digimon. Now it's your turn to answer questions. Name?"  
  
"What?"  
  
She sat down at a metal table I hadn't noticed before, and that hadn't been much, and lay her head down on it, grumbling with paper and pen in hand. She looked back up and glared at me.  
  
"Look. I don't want to do this anymore than you do. Just get it over with. Now. What. Is. Your. Name?"  
  
"Cody."  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Okay. Let's try complete answers this time. Name?"  
  
"Cody Hida."  
  
"Great. Can't believe he's wasting my time with this… Age?"  
  
_Am I… being interrogated?_  
  
"Sixteen."  
  
I gave this information willingly. I was recovering little by little, but I couldn't see any possible use for this to them, and I wasn't sure I would like what would happen if I didn't answer.  
  
_They'd probably do something to the others… I should probably avoid speaking more than I need to. Might let something slip._  
  
"This is the _biggest_ waste of time…"  
  
"Then why are you doing it?"  
  
The words slipped out before I could stop them. She just looked at me like I was stupid.  
  
"Because I was told to. Now shut up."  
  
I sighed, and slumped in my bonds.  
  
"Father's name?"  
  
I though back.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I'm thinking!"  
  
She arched an eyebrow.  
  
"You have to _think_ to remember your father's name?!"  
  
I felt a few tears gather in my eyes.  
  
"HE DIED!"  
  
This seemed to slap her in the face, and for just an instant, she looked human instead of evil.  
  
"Oh. Tough break. Just answer the question so we don't get in trouble with Murmuxmon, okay?"  
  
I twisted my mind trying to remember. And then I did.  
  
"Hiroki. Hiroki Hida."  
  
She nodded, and then groaned when she read the next question.  
  
"Great. Sorry kid, but I didn't write these questions."  
  
She sounded bored and tired, not sorry at all. She continued with the question.  
  
"Father's Occupation?"  
  
"Police Officer. He… he died in the line of duty."  
  
She nodded shortly, made a note on her paper, then went for the next question.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
There was, much to my surprise, an easy route down into the quarry. I grinned as I plopped myself down into the shade.  
  
_Muchomon may like this heat, but I'm certainly not._  
  
The mentioned Muchomon had parked himself on a rock, and was lying back, sunning himself. I smiled fondly at him.  
  
"Don't over do it, Muchomon!"  
  
There was a smile in his voice.  
  
"Me? I never even get tanned! Let a bird catch some rays."  
  
I got up, and let Maria have my seat. It was pretty comfortable, as far as rocks go. It had plenty of shade too. I dropped a kiss to her forehead, and wandered around a little. Steve frowned.  
  
"Phil, don't go wandering too far off now!"  
  
"Yes mother. Seriously, I don't think we'd find anything other than a few Gotsumon here. I just wanted to take a quick look around."  
  
Steve nodded, but slowly.  
  
_Probably still thinks it's too dangerous._  
  
I shrugged, and wandered a bit, over to the far side. Lou spoke up when I reached the wall.  
  
"We should leave… now. Something is very wrong here…"  
  
Maria looked over at him, and pleaded; while I walked over to the far wall… there was something about it that bugged me.  
  
"Can't we stay a bit longer? We just got here!"  
  
Lou held her gaze for a moment, then sighed. I gave the wall a light kick in frustration.  
  
_I _still_ can't figure out what bugs me about this wall…_  
  
"Very well. But all of you be-"  
  
He was interrupted by a deafening boom as the wall I kicked suddenly collapsed into so much rubble. They all looked at me.  
  
"What?"  
  
Lou sighed. I shrugged again and turned back towards the wall I kicked, and opened my mouth in shock.  
  
"You guys! Over here! You've got to see this!"  
  
Steve just looked over, a little annoyed, and not one of them was coming anywhere near a wall that had just collapsed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's a humungous _skeleton_ here! I'm gonna be famous! I've discovered a prehistoric digimon fossil!"  
  
They _did_ come over at that, even if Steve was grumbling.  
  
"There aren't any digimon skeletons you fool! When a digimon dies, it becomes data and reintegrates into the digital world, being reborn at…"  
  
He stopped and gaped, for there truly was a large skeleton in the wall. Lou and Maria were a little freaked out, but Steve was muttering to himself, even though we all could hear.  
  
"This doesn't make any sense. Digimon are data. Living data yes, but data just the same. They _don't_ leave skeletons lying around, which eliminates that conclusion. So what else could it be…?"  
  
He paced for a few more moments, and I kinda tuned him out after that, just gazing up at my discovery. Then there was a hoarse cry from Steve, and we looked over at him.  
  
"Lou was right! We have to get out of here! NOW! That isn't a skeleton! That's-"  
  
With the very strange sound of tearing rock, the skeleton pulled itself free of the wall, and I now saw what Steve was trying to say. This was not a prehistoric digimon skeleton.  
  
_It's a SkullGreymon!_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I had arrived on time. I checked my watch again.  
  
_Takato is late._  
  
I glanced at my companion, who if she was to be believed, had been here a full two hours early, she was so excited to be here. Fortunately, she seemed to be wearing normal clothing now, even if she and Bearmon were fidgeting madly. Then she grinned and I turned to see Takato running down the street. He stopped, panting, when he reached us.  
  
"Sorry… ran into a… little trouble."  
  
I just shook my head.  
  
"Let's just go. We need to get this over with."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Let's go then. Next stop, the digital world."  
  
He drew and slashed the glowing green card then.  
  
**DIGI-Modify! Digital Gate Activate!**  
  
The green portal appeared, and we went through.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I smiled over at Joe, who gave a soft smile back. I looked up at Tai, who had barely let go of me for two seconds since I'd woken up.  
  
"I need to go talk to Joe, Tai."  
  
He nodded, and unclasped his arms from around my waist, letting me up. I sat down next to Joe.  
  
"How are you doing, Joe?"  
  
He smiled a little.  
  
"Better, honestly. It doesn't hurt quite as much anymore. I… I don't think I'll ever get over what happened, but… at least I can think straight now."  
  
I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Don't you mean you'll never get over _her_?"  
  
His face went white.  
  
"Wha…? How?"  
  
"She almost drowned a few weeks ago, and Gomamon didn't know where else to bring her. He's been staying with me you know."  
  
Joe nodded slowly.  
  
"I hope she didn't well…"  
  
"Freak out?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"She did that to me. She… was afraid… even when I told her it was okay, that it was safe…"  
  
I knew I had to head this off before it got too far out of hand.  
  
"I know, she told me. Talk to her Joe. When we get out of here, talk to her. She's been adjusting. It's slow, but she was starting to come to grips with it before I was taken. Just…"  
  
He put a hand over mine, silencing me.  
  
"Really?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Yes. She wants to see you again Joe. So I need you to cheer up a little, and help us work on something to escape. We can't just depend on Takato and Cody."  
  
He nodded, and I walked back over to Tai, who began our impromptu meeting. 


	45. Opening Moves

Chapter 42 - Opening Moves  
  
"Mother's maiden name?"  
  
I looked down at the girl at the table who was looking at her list of questions with a mixture of revulsion, disbelief and boredom on her face. Finally, as I had guessed she would since the beginning, she snapped.  
  
"WHAT IN THE GOD DAMN HELL IS THIS SHIT!"  
  
I snickered, and she turned on me.  
  
"Oh, so you think this is funny, do you?!"  
  
"Uh…"  
  
She glared at me until I snapped my mouth shut, and then she began pacing the room, ranting.  
  
"I can't believe this! I am a highly efficient fighter! What the hell am I doing playing interrogator to this short kid?!"  
  
Not much can make me angry under normal circumstances. But these circumstances were far from normal. I'd just endured fifty odd questions on my father, and it looked like the girl would get back to the questions on my mother as soon as she was done ranting. And I was chained to a wall. I didn't have Armadillomon or my digivice.  
  
And she'd just called me short.  
  
"I AM _NOT_ SHORT!"  
  
She looked at me, then went up and down. I averted my gaze blushed.  
  
"Well, maybe a little…"  
  
She laughed and came forward, tilting my head up with a hand under my jaw.  
  
"Hey, it's okay to be short, shorty. At least you're cute."  
  
Then she kissed me on the cheek and sat down at the table.  
  
"Okay, mother's maiden name?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"DARK SHOT!"  
  
The missile pounded into the quarry floor. We were fortunate enough to avoid a direct hit, but the shockwave sent us flying. I landed on my back, SnowAgumon groaning as he hit my chest.  
  
_This heat still isn't doing him any good._  
  
Amazingly, Phil was back on his feet again, his bird digimon right beside him.  
  
"Muchomon, Go!"  
  
**Digivolution­_­  
  
Muchomon Digivolve to… FlareRizamon!  
  
Elecmon Digivolve to… Centaurumon!**  
  
A quick glace back showed Maria beside her partner. It wasn't as much of a surprise as Phil's digivolution, as Maria had been further back than the rest of us.  
  
Centaurumon charged in, gun arm powering up.  
  
"SOLAR RAY!"  
  
"RAGING INFERNO!"  
  
The attacks impacted, but simply bounced off. I looked down at SnowAgumon, who nodded back at me. Lou got to his feet a short way ahead of me, and placed Otamamon on the ground.  
  
**Digivolution_  
  
SnowAgumon Digivolve to… Frigimon!  
  
Otamamon Digivolve to… Tortomon!**  
  
"DOUBLE DARK SHOT!"  
  
Two missiles launched out of SkullGreymon's back, and we all scattered for cover, Phil screaming his fool head off. Again, no digimon was impacted directly by the powerful ultimate, but the shockwaves were damaging enough, and we were thrown back. Frigimon in particular was damaged, the heat given off by the blasts not being good for the large snowman.  
  
"STRONG CARAPACE!"  
  
The spines from Tortomon's back launched and impacted, smashing into the bony structure. It made a scratch or two, but there was no discernable _real_ damage. SkullGreymon responded by stepping on Tortomon, his foot bones hardly bothered by the carapace. Frigimon ran forward.  
  
"SUB-ZERO ICE PUNCH!"  
  
"Frigimon! No!"  
  
Frigimon wasn't exactly listening as he rushed in to his friend's defense. Frigimon yelled as SkullGreymon grabbed him.  
  
"SOLAR RAY!"  
  
"BLAZE BUSTER!"  
  
FlareRizamon had stopped to help Centaurumon to his feet after being knocked off, but both were now back in the fight. Their attacks impacted, but SkullGreymon had an unexpected glimmer of intelligence and used Frigimon as a shield. Frigimon yelled as he was pelted by friendly fire.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked out over the valley floor at the rather nondescript cave. The only things that made it stand out were the fact that the entrance was unusually large, and the strange purplish glow at the entrance.  
  
The cave was in the side of a large hill on a grassy plain. I wiped the back of my hand across my brow. It was hot out, and I was wearing black.  
  
_Great choice Takato. Smart move that._  
  
I glanced back at the girls behind me.  
  
"Okay, if the intel we have is correct, we need to digivolve before we go in there, because nothing will be able to digivolve in there. They nodded, Jun enthusiastically as always, and Carmela a little nervously. I aimed the C-Ark at BlackGuilmon.  
  
**Digivolution­_  
  
BlackGuilmon Flash Digivolve to… BlackWarGrowlmon!  
  
Bearmon Digivolve to… Grizzmon!  
  
Kotemon Digivolve to… Yasyamon!**  
  
I looked up at my bulking behemoth.  
  
"All right, boy. Lead us in. Let's get our friends back."  
  
"Right Takatomon!"  
  
I felt a shudder as we passed through the barrier, but luckily what we had assumed was correct, and we didn't dedigivolve. I didn't think we'd stand a chance if we didn't bring the barrier down though. I seriously doubted BlackWarGrowlmon would be enough for this, and I didn't like our chances with only two champions to back me up. I couldn't count on any of the Digidestined or their digimon being capable of combat.  
  
_This won't be the best idea I've ever had, but it's too late now._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Frigimon!"  
  
"DOUBLE DARK SHOT!"  
  
Centaurumon and FlareRizamon tried to scatter again, but SkullGreymon had anticipated this, it appeared. The first landed where they had been standing, but the other hit FlareRizamon dead on.  
  
"FlareRizamon!"  
  
Maria was holding Phil back as an unconscious Muchomon fell out of the flames. SkullGreymon lifted his foot off of Tortomon, and then slammed Frigimon down into him, before replacing the foot, eliciting a howl of pain from Tortomon this time, before tossing my partner to my feet.   
  
"Frigimon… no…"  
  
There was a cracking sound, and I looked up to see some spines break from the top of SkullGreymon's foot. He regressed to Otamamon. SkullGreymon had been letting out minor roars throughout the fight, but now he tossed his head back and roared again. Frigimon got unsteadily to his feet.  
  
"Frigimon, no! You need to rest. Please."  
  
Frigimon shook his head.  
  
"Sorry Steve. Not this time. I'm the only one left with enough power."  
  
I sighed, then nodded.  
  
"Alright. Then… let's go."  
  
"SNOW BALL!"  
  
Obviously, the attack did no damage, but it was still enough to get his attention.  
  
"DARK SHOT!"  
  
Tired out, Frigimon didn't have the energy left to dodge the attack. In the middle of the flames, his melting and shrinking form still got steadily to its feet. I smiled grimly.  
  
_That's it old friend. Don't show weakness. Just hit him hard enough to take his head off._  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, any ideas?"  
  
Tai shook his head.  
  
"Not a one. We've still got our digivices thankfully, but they won't do us any good without our digimon."  
  
TK frowned.  
  
"Well, they do have other functions, if you remember."  
  
Tai gave TK a look.  
  
"True enough, but I don't see any digimon with dark powers to restrain in the immediate vicinity, do you?"  
  
TK blushed.  
  
"Sorry Tai."  
  
Tai waved his hand dismissively.  
  
"No, it's fine. We need to discus all the options, even the hopeless ones. What else do we have?"  
  
I frowned.  
  
"Well, the door gave a champion digimon a lot of trouble to open, so I doubt we'll be able to break out that way, and there aren't any windows."  
  
Davis nodded.  
  
"Yeah, no kidding, Matt. Whoever's doing this isn't taking any chances with us."  
  
"The floor?"  
  
"Through solid stone?"  
  
"Walls are the same."  
  
"Well, there's got to be _something_!"  
  
"Calm down Tai. We can't do anything if we don't think logically."  
  
"I know that! I… I'm just…"  
  
Sora smiled and put her hand on Tai's shoulder.  
  
"I know Tai, but panicking won't help us."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"All right. Forget what we have. What do we _need_?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Then, the rising form glowed and began to shrink even faster.  
  
**Digivolution­_  
  
Frigimon Digivolve to… MetalMamemon!**  
  
SkullGreymon watched in confusion.  
  
"METAL SMIRK BOMB!"  
  
The small energy sphere exploded in his face, sending him reeling. He still wasn't out of the fight, but at least we weren't in danger of loosing anymore either.  
  
What leapt out of the fire was small and stumpy. Its main body was an orb covered in metal armor. The steel boots underneath it gave it a steady footing as it hefted the cannon on it's left arm and readied the claws mounted to its right arm. I grinned.  
  
"MetalMamemon! Get him!"  
  
"Right Steve!"  
  
"METAL CLAW!"  
  
SkullGreymon swiped with his own arm, but the now energized claws swiped clean through, and the arm digitized before it hit the ground. SkullGreymon backed up warily.  
  
"METAL SMIRK BOMB!"  
  
"DARK SHOT!"  
  
I winced as I noted MetalMamemon's bad luck. His the energy bomb launched sailed right through a hole in SkullGreymon's ribcage, and he was unable to get out of the way of SkullGreymon's missile. He didn't fly very far back despite the impact, but it was more a matter of the metal's weight than lack of damage. Still, on his back he leveled his cannon one more time, and fired. SkullGreymon roared.  
  
"METAL SMIRK BOMB!"  
  
Lady luck smiled on us this time, and SkullGreymon swallowed the ball, and the blast blew his skull to kingdom come. With SkullGreymon defeated, MetalMamemon collapsed and dedigivolved to Snow Agumon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Our footsteps echoed through the cave, it was that large. Large enough to accommodate BlackWarGrowlmon at any place within. This made more than a little nervous.  
  
_I mean, if all the caves are this big, who knows what else they have in here?_  
  
Adjusting to the dark was unnecessary, as there were lights mounted to the ceiling every ten feet or so. Jun chose now to speak up.  
  
"So… Matty's supposed to be in here somewhere? How come we haven't seen anyone?"  
  
I shrugged, not really caring about being quiet, as that was impossible for BlackWarGrowlmon.  
  
"I'm not sure why we haven't seen anyone, and for that matter I'm not even sure they're being held here. It's just that not only is this the best bet, it's the only lead we have. We'd better hope we get something out of this mess."  
  
"Takatomon…"  
  
I glanced up.  
  
"What's wrong, boy?"  
  
"I smell digimon!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Cousins on your mother's side?"  
  
I groaned, and she grimaced.  
  
"Oh come on. Don't tell me you can't answer this one!"  
  
I looked at her. I was tired, hungry, worried, and apparently short.  
  
"What's the point of all this?"  
  
"The point, which should be obvious boy, is to find out as much about you as possible. What have you learned Delia?"  
  
We turned. Delia leapt back a little, reflexively.  
  
"M… Murmuxmon!"  
  
He just kept his gaze calmly on Delia. She grimaced, but answered.  
  
"I've filled out the first ten pages or so."  
  
Murmuxmon nodded.  
  
"Fine. Your master has requested your presence at his dwelling. Be sure to go to him as fast as you can."  
  
She nodded, and the mega-level digimon made his exit. I spoke up as she organized the papers a bit.  
  
"Who's your master if he isn't it?"  
  
She looked at me.  
  
"Sorry short-stack, but I can't tell you that."  
  
My eye twitched a bit as she walked over and ruffled my hair as I was chained to the wall before dropping another small kiss on my cheek.  
  
"See ya around, kid."  
  
Then she walked out the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the smoke cleared, I got to my feet, holding Elecmon. To either side, Phil and Lou were cradling their digimon as well. I looked to where Steve was holding SnowAgumon.  
  
"Anyone hurt?"  
  
Phil just shook his head and grinned, and Muchomon hopped down, looking a little scratched, but otherwise okay. I knew Elecmon was in the same condition. Lou smiled.  
  
"Otamamon should be fine with a little rest. He wasn't hurt as badly as it seemed. Tortomon gets rid of those back spines all the time."  
  
Steve grinned as he stood up.  
  
"Just really tired. Going ultimate took a lot out of him."  
  
I nodded, and Lou looked thoughtful.  
  
"Do you still think you can continue? Tired or not, an ultimate will most likely be very useful."  
  
Steve nodded.  
  
"No problem. But we should probably hang back unless necessary to conserve SnowAgumon's strength."  
  
Phil nodded.  
  
"That's fine."  
  
Then, a second crash happened. Phil panicked.  
  
"Wasn't me!"  
  
I rolled my eyes. Lou smiled.  
  
"Of course it wasn't. Most likely it was a result of SkullGreymon's… death."  
  
Steve groaned.  
  
"I case you guys didn't notice, that crash just removed the exits."  
  
I spun around. Steve was right. Both the way we came in, and the way we were planning to go out were blocked. Phil spoke, a little hesitantly this time.  
  
"Well, we could go through the big hole over there…"  
  
We looked over to where Phil was pointing, and sure enough, where SkullGreymon had pulled himself free of the wall, there was a hole in the side of the wall. Lou nodded.  
  
"It seems we have no other options. Let's go." 


	46. Playing The Game

Chapter 43 - Playing The Game  
  
Murmuxmon sat quietly at his desk, going over the report Delia had gathered on the Digidestined. Cody, he remembered the name was. The report was hardly complete, but it wasn't important in any event.  
  
It said a lot that Murmuxmon was seated at a desk rather than a throne like so many other would-be conquerors. It demonstrated a penchant for ruling through careful manipulations rather than pure power. It was why so many other digimon had failed.  
  
_As have I._  
  
It was true enough, he supposed, that he had not done well with bouts of pure force in his early days, and had therefore come to rely on deceit and more underhanded tactics than his opponents.  
  
_But that is in the past._  
  
He flipped up the screen built into the desk and watched the proceedings. The report was just an excuse. The information was amusing, he supposed, and perhaps one or two of the questions that were answered were worth taking a look at. But he had known the majority of what mattered in the report before Delia had asked the questions.  
  
No. The real point of the exercise was to test the boy. To watch and gage his reactions to the questions, his situation, and the constant aggravation.  
  
The boy seemed to be incredibly resilient emotionally, which was something of curiosity to Murmuxmon, but not something he was incredibly concerned with. He sighed.  
  
_Perhaps I worried for nothing. The boy does not have the bearing to walk in _his_ footsteps._  
  
The girl's reactions were more interesting than the boy's to tell the truth. She ranged between deadly calm and wild anger as her mind fought with the invading prescience of Daemon's Dark Spore.  
  
Murmuxmon paused the recording and contemplated this for a moment. It was for this precise reason that he hadn't simply watched it live. He might have felt compelled to intervene sooner and therefore contaminate the results. What he contemplated were the girl's actions towards the boy. They were odd… she seemed to be comforting the boy, reflecting a trace of inner light.  
  
_Should I tell Daemon?_  
  
He brushed the thought aside almost as soon as he'd come across it. It wasn't really his business, and the things that _were_ his business had been completed to satisfaction.  
  
_Besides. It's not like my old enemy is blind. And if he is, I'll enjoy destroying him just that much more._  
  
Murmuxmon watched through the rest of it without stopping. Turning the monitor off, but not closing it, he once more pondered the girl's actions. Then he shrugged. Partly because it was Daemon's problem now, and mostly because the boy would be dead before the day was out.  
  
Shrugging, he returned to his monitor and it settled onto a different image. Or rather, a split screen of two live feeds. Two different groups of Digidestined had infiltrated his base. One deliberately, and the other by accident.  
  
The American fools who had entered by accident posed no particular threat, as they were well within the anti-catalyst matrix, and were therefore powerless. The only real concern he had regarding them was that they were nearing the holding cells. But as the cells were guarded, and they were weakened, he wasn't incredibly worried. The other group worried him more. They had digivolved before entering.  
  
There were only three of them, but the leading ultimate was enough to make him slightly nervous. He knew that digimon, black as it was. The other thing that concerned him was the boy. He wasn't sure quite what effect his field would have on his digivice's ability to alter the world around him. That particular function did not appear to need a catalyst to work, which made the digimon a power to watch carefully.  
  
Dismissing the others as unimportant, he cut the feed to the Americans and watched the boy and his friends, a slight frown on his face.  
  
_They'll soon hit a patrol, but will it slow them down?_  
  
He didn't have any delusions about any single patrol being able to take down BlackWarGrowlmon, especially if his partner was still able to empower him, but he wondered how much it would slow them.  
  
The frown deepened.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I crept ahead cautiously, not liking the prickling feeling I was getting in the back of my neck. I did not like it at all. I glanced down at Otamamon in my arms, actually pleased to see that he was sleeping. He would likely need the rest.  
  
We turned the corner carefully.  
  
And stopped.  
  
What was probably once a straight path was now completely blocked by rubble. Phil grumbled behind me.  
  
"Great, a dead end."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Recent it appears. Perhaps it could not hold up to the battle with SkullGreymon."  
  
Phil nodded a little, and Steve called us over to where he was.  
  
"Hey, this looks like it might go somewhere!"  
  
It was another collapsed wall of rock, but it was down, alighting another path through the dark. I motioned the others in.  
  
"This looks promising. Let's go."  
  
We walked on for a bit, the darkness starting to get to us. None of us dared to speak, lest we awaken some forgotten guardian, like the aforementioned SkullGreymon. Finally though, just when the darkness was beginning to seem a little too oppressive, a light appeared up ahead. Elated, we headed towards it, only to stop on a sound. We sweat-dropped when we realized what it was.  
  
Off-key singing.  
  
"-Oh! Nooooboooody knooows the trouble I've seeeeen! Noooobooody knoooows my sorrow!-"  
  
This was followed by a muffled crash.  
  
"Shut up, Patamon! I've had enough of your caterwauling!"  
  
"That's rich, coming from _you_ Gatomon!"  
  
"You shut it too, Veemon!"  
  
I sighed in relief.  
  
_The Odaiba Digidestined._  
  
The others hurried right after me as I approached.  
  
There was strange metal-on-metal noise as we got closer. Pretty much a 'clinking' sound.  
  
"Wormmon! Will you stop with the cup against the bars thing?!"  
  
"But Ken told me that's what prisoners do, Armadillomon!"  
  
"Well it's giving me a headache. Stop. Please."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
We kept creeping closer, and now I was able to spot several guards, most of them rookies with a single champion watching over them. From what I could tell, there were several Koemon to the single Hookmon. We were close enough to rush them now. I looked back at the others, who nodded. They were ready. Steve gave me a thumbs up.  
  
We ran in, not realizing until it was too late that we couldn't digivolve.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I watched Takato grimace as he looked at the holographic image above his glove-thing. From what I read and what Takato had told us, we were in trouble.  
  
There were three 'Karatenmon' ahead of us. They were virus types according to the scanner, and ultimates, a level above Yasyamon. Not only that, from what Takato has said, virus types had the advantage over data types like Yasyamon.  
  
_Not good._  
  
"Get 'em Grizzmon!"  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Takato's voice went unheeded as Grizzmon charged in.  
  
"MAUL ATTACK"  
  
"BALLISTIC FEATHERS!"  
  
Grizzmon's physical attack was no match for the projectile explosives, and he was flung back into the wall. He managed to right himself, and miraculously managed to stay in his champion form.  
  
Unfortunately the resulting cave-in cut the two of us off from Takato.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A rumble filled the air suddenly, and for some reason, I felt a strange shiver run down my spine, almost as if the rumble were warning me of some god forsaken horror to come.  
  
_Oh, like something around here could really scare me more than being trapped here. Not that I'll admit that fright to anyone, mind you._  
  
"Come, on Matt! The door opened!"  
  
I blinked, then smiled at TK while heading out.  
  
"Right. Sorry, let's go."  
  
We tried to be inconspicuous as we wandered through the fortress. Let's face it, no matter what we could have tried, eleven humans stuck out like sore thumbs. Tai tentatively tried all the doors he came to, revealing nothing. It was a veritable ghost town. Then suddenly he hissed at me.  
  
"Matt, get in here!"  
  
I ran over, and lo and behold, Cody was in the room. I started cursing a moment later as I realized that he was chained to the wall. He smiled as he saw us.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
"Whoa…"  
  
Tai was being as dense as always, so I tried to clarify for him.  
  
"What happened to you?"  
  
"They just asked me a whole bunch of questions, that's all."  
  
I nodded, and finally succeeded in undoing the manacle. Tai got himself together enough to pull together a coherent question.  
  
"You okay to go on?"  
  
Cody nodded, and he joined our little escapee party.  
  
"Where's Takato?"  
  
Cody shrugged at Kari's question.  
  
"As far as I know he's still free."  
  
"MEGA BONE STICK!"  
  
"SWING SWING!"  
  
The interruption was followed by several thuds as we came to a t-junction in the hallways. On the other side of us, I was rather shocked to see the New York kids there.  
  
Unfortunately, they were getting their butts kicked. One of the Koemon saw us.  
  
"Sir! The other humans have escaped!"  
  
The Apemon that appeared to be in charge narrowed his eyes at us.  
  
"Matt! Over here!"  
  
I smiled in relief as I saw Gabumon's arm waving, only to have my hopes crushed as I realized he was locked up.  
  
_Crap. Somehow, if I get through this, I think this is one story I won't tell Jun._  
  
"Foul monkeys! How dare you attack and imprison these noble souls! Have at thee! DOUBLE STRIKE!"  
  
With the New Yorkers on one side, us on the other, and the digimon on the side, the attack could only have come from one direction. The third corridor.  
  
A Yasyamon burst in, both of his wooden swords crashing down, dealing with two of the seven Koemon at once, deleting them. The others swarmed towards him, but a girl's voice called out.  
  
"Yasyamon! Duck!"  
  
Yasyamon did as ordered and a Grizzmon carrying a brown haired girl sitting just in front of its shoulder blades, legs on either side of the neck, sailed over him just in front of the crowd.  
  
"CRESCENT DAWN!"  
  
With a long swipe of one of its forepaws, the massive bear let loose a crescent shaped light beam, eradicating the others.  
  
"METALIC FUR!"  
  
The Apemon let loose hairs of razor-sharp metal at them, but the Yasyamon vaulted the Grizzmon and its rider this time.  
  
"Never fear! I shall defend you! DOUBLE ARM GAURDS!"  
  
The Grizzmon used the distraction to run around behind the Apemon and, with the girl still mounted just in front of the shoulder blades mind you, reared up and brought it's paws up, claws gleaming.  
  
"MAUL ATTACK!"  
  
The Apemon, who was still trying to get through Yasyamon's defences, never knew what hit him as he was ground underneath the other digimon.  
  
Then I backed away in fear as I realized just who the girl was.  
  
_Jun…_  
  
"MAATTY!"  
  
My eyes widened as my girlfriend did her imitation of a human cannonball right at me.  
  
"Oof!"  
  
That was about all I was capable of as she knocked me to the ground.  
  
"Oh, Matty, you're the greatest! What other guy would get his girlfriend a digimon for Christmas!"  
  
My eyes widened into golf balls as the pieces all fell into place in my mind. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to realize that denying this would only bring more trouble than was already present.  
  
"Yeah… isn't it great…?"  
  
Then, a thing for which was grateful, the attention was taken off me as Gomamon came hurtling out of the tunnel.  
  
"JOE!"  
  
The underwater monster flung himself at Joe, but at least Joe managed to stay upright.  
  
"G-Gomamon?"  
  
Gomamon grinned, and climbed around on Joe until he was on his back, their heads side by side.  
  
"Just promise me you won't do that again, Joe."  
  
Joe smiled, and flicked away a few tears.  
  
"I promise Gomamon. I promise."  
  
Gomamon grinned.  
  
"I'll hold you to that Joe. Introducing our next guest, Yasyamon's Digidestined-"  
  
A pretty girl with her brown hair pulled into a bun with a medical bag by her side steps hesitantly out of the corridor and into the circle of light where we could see her.  
  
"-Carmela Shultz!"  
  
She smiled shyly, and Joe promptly fainted. Gomamon groaned.  
  
"Someone get him off of me!" 


	47. Strategy

Chapter 44 - Strategy  
  
Murmuxmon sighed and wandered into his lab. He had several devices in here of his own make, and all of them capable of immense damage in the wrong hands.  
  
_My hands._  
  
He paused to smile at the uncompleted machine in the center of the room, and moved towards one along one of the benches. The machine itself was something he had invented long ago, but he kept it in here to keep it out of the hands of incompetents. I.e., anyone but himself and _him_. Not that the other would ever bother with such a device.  
  
There was a quiet rap at his door and he turned, pleasantly surprised to see his lieutenant, the only digimon on the base not considered blatantly incompetent.  
  
"You asked to see me on my return, milord?"  
  
Murmuxmon smiled genuinely at the digimon.  
  
"Yes. I did. Did the girl leave?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"She returned to her master as expected. Nothing out of place."  
  
Murmuxmon nodded.  
  
"Good. And the gate?"  
  
"Rubble. As ordered."  
  
"Excellent. Now that you're back, why don't you wander down to the cells and check on the incompetents down there. That Apemon lacks even common intelligence and lets his anger rule him far too often. Make sure he eliminated the prisoners as ordered."  
  
"Your will, milord."  
  
"Oh. One last thing."  
  
The digimon in the door turned back to face him.  
  
"Milord?"  
  
"There was a tremor recently. The way to the cells may not be exactly as you remember it."  
  
"Of course."  
  
The lieutenant of Murmuxmon bowed and left. Murmuxmon himself turned back to the machine on the counter, and activated it, the device projecting a holographic map of the honeycombed passages. It updated itself, so it contained the newly formed and demolished corridors. This wasn't all the device did however, or it would be in the room to begin with.  
  
Murmuxmon reached out and touched each gap in the map. Each entrance to the underground realm. And then he typed a few commands into the interface. Each of the gaps then closed, cutting the exits out of the subterranean fortress as they collapsed into rubble.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I groaned and placed my hand over my eyes as I came to, blinking, trying to adjust to what appeared to be a florescent light above my eyes. Then a familiar head interceded itself in my vision.  
  
"You alright Joe?"  
  
"I'm doing a bit better Gomamon."  
  
"Good. I was worried."  
  
I froze at the voice. I knew that voice. It would be entrenched into my soul for eternity.  
  
_It wasn't some crazy hallucination?_  
  
I turned slowly to see Carmela blushing and looking away.  
  
_I-it's really her? Here? With a digimon?_  
  
I reached out a little unsteadily, and she clasped my hand.  
  
"I'm sorry…"  
  
We both spoke at the same time, and blushed. I motioned for her to go first. She couldn't seem to meet my eyes as she spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry Joe. I… I shouldn't have reacted like that. I was being selfish and ignorant. I-it's just…"  
  
She couldn't say any more. I smiled and squeezed her hand.  
  
"No, it was my fault. I probably should have told you about Gomamon sooner-"  
  
I was interrupted by Tai clearing his throat.  
  
"Hey, it's not that I'm not glad you patching things up, but could you save it? I mean-ouch! What was that for?"  
  
Sora had elbowed him in the ribs. She just glared, her point getting across. Tai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  
  
"Look, I'm just saying that the bowels of enemy territory isn't the best place for this."  
  
Sora looked ready to rip into him again, but Carmela interrupted her.  
  
"Tai is right, Sora. Besides, we have to find Takato as well."  
  
Tai grumbled.  
  
"That guy is always disappearing right when you need him the most."  
  
"It wasn't quite his fault."  
  
Carmela leveled a sarcastic look at Jun, who shrugged and smiled back. Tai put his hand over his face and groaned.  
  
"Okay, so maybe it wasn't his fault this time. Well, let's digivolve, split up and find the kid."  
  
Maria shook her head.  
  
"Not a chance. We can't digivolve in here for some reason."  
  
Davis grinned.  
  
"So? We'll armor evolve, then. Not a problem."  
  
Jun grinned.  
  
"Nope. Takato said that a flying dragon told him that wouldn't work either. We evolved outside and walked in like this."  
  
Tai's face fell.  
  
"Okay, fine. That rules out splitting up then. Not with rookies against who knows what around here. Stay close, and remember; only the front ranks should go in unless we have a _lot_ of room. Getting in each other's way could be disastrous.  
  
We nodded, and moved out of the immediate vicinity. We were almost out of the cells when a voice rang out behind us.  
  
"And just where do you think you're going, Digidestined?"  
  
I spun around. With all the light behind it, all I could see was the silhouette of a tall, knight-like digimon. Behind me, a few people gasped.  
  
"ChaosGallantmon?!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ugghh…"  
  
I groaned and sat up. Then I remembered where I was and what I was doing and scrambled to my feet.  
  
_Oh no… Where's BlackWarGrowlmon?!  
  
*Takatomon?*  
  
*Where are you?!*_  
  
There was a muffled groan and a shift to my right. The rubble shifted, and a black and red lizard rolled out of the rocks.  
  
"Oooh…"  
  
_Oh crap…_  
  
To make it clear, BlackGuilmon rolled out of the rubble. He got unsteadily to his feet. He shook himself a bit in order to clean some of the dust off himself.  
  
"Sorry Takatomon."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"It's alright boy. But where are those Karatenmon?"  
  
He looked down a little, ashamed.  
  
"I loaded them Takatomon. I don't think BlackGuilmon would be here without that."  
  
I sighed again and knelt, giving him a brief hug.  
  
"It's okay boy. You didn't do anything wrong. You just did what you had to."  
  
I looked down at BlackGuilmon.  
  
_Well, catalyst abilities are restricted… but BlackGuilmon _is_ a catalyst. I wonder if maybe…_  
  
"Let me try something, boy."  
  
He nodded.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Digivolution Activate!**  
  
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouchie!"  
  
BlackGuilmon dropped to the ground and started rolling around in pain. I knelt back down again, starting to panic, until he came out of it, and looked up at me from the ground.  
  
"Ahh… I'm sorry boy!"  
  
"It's okay Takatomon. But let's not do that again?"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"Can you handle one more thing? I need to know what works and what doesn't."  
  
BlackGuilmon nodded, and braced himself.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Recharge Activate!**  
  
BlackGuilmon smiled and wagged his tail as his energy replenished and started restoring the damage that the Karatenmon didn't. I grinned.  
  
"Glad that much works at least."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Let's go find our friends Takatomon!"  
  
We hadn't yet walked a few paces I was startled, as next to me BlackGuilmon suddenly stopped and started growling suddenly.  
  
"What is it boy?"  
  
"Bad, Takatomon. Very bad digimon."  
  
I narrowed my eyes.  
  
"Where?"  
  
He ran over to a space off to the side and started sniffing at the ground.  
  
"Down there!"  
  
He was freaking me out a little with how feral his voice was, but I decided to just go with it for now, as he was digging into the ground without me telling him to.  
  
_I just hope I don't have to deal with Megidramon any time soon. Somehow, I don't think that he'd be constrained by that pesky anti-catalyst field._  
  
I shuffled through my deck a bit, then smiled.  
  
"Well, this brings back memories."  
  
I looked at the card I had, then grabbed another just incase.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Digmon's Drill Activate! Aero Wing Activate!**  
  
BlackGuilmon started burrowing into the floor, and I jumped in after him, riding him down the tunnel, just like with the snake deva.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The knight stepped closer then, revealing his red and white attire, and spoke in a gravely voice.  
  
"I am _not_ this 'Chaos'Gallantmon. _I_ am MedievalGallantmon. And you… are dead."  
  
_Oh boy…_  
  
"Let's go Grizzmon!"  
  
I smacked my face. Grizzmon went forward, and then there was a flash of movement, and suddenly a Bearmon came flying back at us. Next to me, Agumon gulped as we now saw the pole-axe in the knight's hands. You couldn't tell because of the faceplate, but I was sure he was smirking.  
  
"Who's next?"  
  
"DOUBLE STRIKE!"  
  
The result was the same. Kotemon came crashing back, and the knight before us laughed.  
  
"And _this_ is what the lord feared? Pathetic. Every last one of you. Pathetic."  
  
I growled under my breath.  
  
_No choice._  
  
Then the knight sighed, and I held off on ordering a suicidal attack on the chance a miracle would occur. He started mumbling to himself, but I didn't like what I heard.  
  
"…stupid… not worth the effort… why?"  
  
He addressed us now.  
  
"I don't feel like doing this anymore. It lacks sport."  
  
Davis was hopeful, and I kinda wished I were too.  
  
"So that means you'll let us go?"  
  
"No. I'm simply going to annihilate you all at once."  
  
_Crap._  
  
He raised the axe, and flipped it around, so that the sharpened butt was facing us. It glowed with energy and he began writing in the air with it, leaving a pattern of energy with it.  
  
And then a rock fell on his head.  
  
The apparent lapse in concentration caused the writing to fade, and he looked up - just in time for some of the ceiling to cave in on him, followed by Takato riding a flying BlackGuilmon. He hopped off as they neared the ground.  
  
"Takato, it's great to see you, but I wish you'd digivolved BlackGuilmon to BlackWarGrowlmon.  
  
He grimaced and glared at Jun, who blushed.  
  
"Yeah, well that's what a cave in will do for you. We're lucky to be alive."  
  
The ground shifted, and MedievalGallantmon rose from the ground. BlackGuilmon growled from where he was still hovering in the air. MedievalGallantmon looked at him, almost incredulous.  
  
"What the…?"  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
Takato swore a little, and drew two cards.  
  
**DIGI-MODIFY! Hyper Speed Activate! Power Activate!**  
  
BlackGuilmon managed to avoid the incoming axe swing, but I knew it was only a matter of time. I looked at him.  
  
"Don't you have anything in that deck that lets you ignore the field in here?"  
  
Takato shook his head, concentrating on the battle. The larger knight couldn't seem to land a blow on the rookie, which was pretty much all that was keeping us alive. But he seemed to get closer with every swing. Finally the mega growled.  
  
"That's it. LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
He leveled the head of his axe at where he thought BlackGuilmon would be, and energy collected between the twin axe heads. The energy launched, and clipped one of BlackGuilmon's wings, ending the effect and sending him tumbling to the ground.  
  
_No… so much for miracles…_  
  
But much to my surprise, BlackGuilmon rolled to his feet… and charged.  
  
"ROCK SMASHER!"  
  
The attack barely made a 'tink' noise as it reflected off. I swore.  
  
"Now would be a nice time for ChaosGallantmon to save the day."  
  
The axe flashed down. BlackGuilmon managed to twist enough that he was hit with the flat instead of the blade, but he was still sent slamming into the wall. Takato got out of his half crouch then, and stood, as if coming to a decision. He moved as if to exit the relative safety of the tunnel, and I held him back.  
  
"Are you nuts?!"  
  
He just smiled at me, and I sighed as I noticed the others were all looking at us.  
  
"Relax. I have a plan."  
  
_Finally. I just hope it works._  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"Stay here. And whatever you do, don't try and stop me."  
  
"Uh…"  
  
And then he was off. MedievalGallantmon was writing in the air again as BlackGuilmon lay groaning. Takato grabbed a rock as he ran, and tossed it at the knight. He didn't spare Takato a single glance, but Takato kept running.  
  
As he finished writing, MedievalGallantmon placed his hand in the center of the pattern, and it flashed with power.  
  
Takato shoved BlackGuilmon out of the way.  
  
"FINAL CREST!"  
  
I didn't know what Takato had planned, but it was moot now. BlackGuilmon had been saved, but we could only watch as Takato broke down into data. 


	48. Knights

Chapter 45 - Knights  
  
I sobbed in disbelief as Takato's form shattered like glass and turned to dust. I collapsed onto Tai, whose eyes were squeezed shut.  
  
"Oh no… no… why did this happen? What went wrong…? Why? Oh god… why?"  
  
I turned my head to face MedievalGallantmon as he turned to us.  
  
"Hmm. Not bad. Your friend there could actually have given me workout had he been able to digivolve."  
  
A growling voice answered him.  
  
"Who says I can't?"  
  
BlackGuilmon was on his feet, golden eyes bright, the data cloud swirling around him. I looked on with horrified fascination.  
  
_Did BlackGuilmon just load Takato's data?_  
  
MedievalGallantmon just snorted. BlackGuilmon continued as Takato's data began to stream into him.  
  
"Takatomon is with me. Takatomon helps me. And together… YOU! WILL! FALL!"  
  
The data finished absorbing into his body. His eyes glowed a blood red as he let out a thundering roar and raised himself up, stretching to his full height.  
  
His body glowed. The white knight took a step back in disbelief.  
  
And the glowing form grew. It grew into a humanoid shape, dressed in black armor, kneeling in place, head bent down, a blue cape flowing from the shoulder guards.  
  
**BlackGuilmon Biomerge to… ChaosGallantmon!**  
  
The head snapped up to glare at MedievalGallantmon, crimson eyes blazing.  
  
"Surprise."  
  
And then he was up, a lance and shield forming on his hands.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The attack took the white knight by surprise as Tai swore next to me. Ken echoed him.  
  
"What?"  
  
Tai grimaced.  
  
"We should have seen it. Takato is ChaosGallantmon."  
  
I frowned a little. I, like a few others, hadn't made the conscious connection quite so fast, and I looked out at the fight with some surprise.  
  
While this was going on, MedievalGallantmon recovered and made a chopping motion with his axe. ChaosGallantmon caught it on his shield, but was still pushed back from the double-handed blow.  
  
Takato countered with his lance, but the other knight leapt back.  
  
"LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
Takato sidestepped even as he charged in close, bringing in his lance for a strike. MedievalGallantmon ducked backwards again, but this time ChaosGallantmon was ready.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The white knight brought up his axe to block, but was pushed back. The dark knight was quick to press the advantage. The axe was brought to bear again, and this time Takato used both lance and shield to block, resulting in a power struggle as each fought to break their opponent. MedievalGallantmon spoke.  
  
"Not… bad! It's been… years… since I had… such a… worthy… opponent!"  
  
"Your… point?"  
  
"That… this will be… one of the… few… battles worth… remembering!"  
  
"Remember… this! GRANI!"  
  
And with that, ChaosGallantmon deliberately flung himself backwards, hitting the ground with a 'thunk'. He made no move to get up though, as the space above him was suddenly filled with a blue and gold dragon that slammed into MedievalGallantmon's chest, driving him back and slamming him into the wall before leaving the way he came, shimmering into nothing.  
  
Takato rolled to his feet and dove into the dust kicked up by the crash. For a bit, all we could hear was the sound of metal on metal, but voices drifted out too.  
  
"Have you… no honor?"  
  
"Ha! Black… knights… are expected… to cheat!"  
  
"LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
The smoke was blown back, billowing out and past us as their attacks connected. Then MedievalGallantmon charged in, sweeping his axe across. ChaosGallantmon leapt above the swing, but was unprepared for the white fist connecting to his gut, sending him flying backwards.  
  
"You're good, boy."  
  
Takato groaned and didn't answer, but still rolled over to avoid the follow up chop that would likely have cleaved him in two. MedievalGallantmon jumped back even as Takato moved to his feet. He yet again charged in, trying to get close, too close for the axe to be used effectively.  
  
Takato slammed his shield into his opponent's face, knocking him back a bit. He didn't get in a follow up strike, as MedievalGallantmon countered with the sharpened butt end of his staff. ChaosGallantmon leapt back, but not fast enough as it left a gouge in his armored torso plate.  
  
As the sharpened edge came around, the white knight flipped ends, making the head come down at an angle, deepening the gash. The cut looked really gruesome. MedievalGallantmon's eyes glinted.  
  
"But not quite good enough!"  
  
Takato stood, saying nothing, and went into a slight crouch, watching the other knight, who also moved into a battle stance. I don't know how long they stood there, but it felt like hours as they stared, waiting for the other to relax, show weakness, something. All I knew was that I couldn't breathe while it was happening.  
  
At some silent signal, they were charging each other again. When Takato suddenly dropped to one knee, lowering his head, MedievalGallantmon jumped. The black shield was up in an instant.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The axe came up to block again, but it wasn't quite fast enough or strong enough, and he was thrown backwards, slamming heavily into the ground. He wasn't down long though, and after a moment, rolled back to his feet, axe pointed forward.  
  
"LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
The beam reflected harmlessly off the shield, and was quickly countered.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
MedievalGallantmon cut his attack and moved to the side, letting the black beam move harmlessly past. He charged in. The two collided once more, each struggling for dominance. Suddenly, ChaosGallantmon crashed to the ground, having been tripped by his opponent. ChaosGallantmon brought his shield up quickly to block the incoming axe. The shield was scared and dented from the impact, but it held.  
  
The axe flashed up again, but before it could come down, the dragon interfered again, slamming into the white knight's side. It left before completing the slam into the wall, but the distraction was enough for ChaosGallantmon to get to his feet.  
  
They were watching each other again, looking for openings.  
  
"You're annoying, boy. Give it up! LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
The beam was held with the battered shield again, and Takato responded.  
  
"Not an option. JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The larger beam easily overwhelmed the first, and pushed it back, exploding at the source, sending MedievalGallantmon flying. Takato was running forward in an instant and managed to whip his lance across the other knight's torso, giving him a similar cut to his own. ChaosGallantmon also gave him a kick for good measure; slightly lengthening the white knight's hang time.  
  
Takato jumped backwards as well, using MedievalGallantmon's recovery time to take a moment to catch his breath. Both digimon were breathing heavily, their exertion beginning to take its toll on them. 

* * *

My eyes widened at the battle that was going on. This was… well, 'Clash of the Titans' came to mind as a good phrase. Next to me, Phil squeezed my hand.  
  
"At least we know he's on our side, right Maria?"  
  
I gave him a small smile. It didn't matter too much to me whose side the two knights were on. The biggest thing on my mind now was getting out. Just ahead of me, Lou was conversing with Tai. They nodded, and Lou came back to us.  
  
"We're going to attempt to find a way out of here while ChaosGallantmon keeps the other one busy. We're no good like this. Tai's going to take his people and try to find the thing that's keeping us from digivolving and destroy it."  
  
Steve frowned.  
  
"But… How are the Odaiba kids going to accomplish that? I mean, once they find a way out, can't they just storm the place with megas? And our digimon are still tired from SkullGreymon."  
  
Lou shrugged.  
  
"Yes, but they'll need a larger number to stay alive in the tunnels. And they're pretty sure that MedievalGallantmon is the strongest thing in here."  
  
"What makes them so sure?"  
  
Lou looked Steve right in the eyes.  
  
"Because if he isn't… We're doomed. So therefore, we operate on the assumption that nothing incredibly strong will be left in here."  
  
Steve sweat dropped.  
  
"Riiight."

* * *

I absently noted the Digidestined run off down the tunnel as MedievalGallantmon came at me, axe raised high.  
  
I waited.  
  
Once he started swinging, and overhead chop, I stepped to the side and inside his guard, striking my lance deep into the cut I had already made. I grunted as the follow through of his strike knocked me away from him, sending me spilling to the floor again.  
  
This had been a huge gamble from the beginning. I hadn't been sure that BlackGulmon loading my data would be enough. There was some catalyst element involved in the normal process, but I wasn't sure if it merely protected the data, or if it provided some kind of extra boost.  
  
_And I still don't know what'll happen when, _if_, I dedigivolve…_  
  
A sudden whistling noise made me roll to the side again on instinct, and I mentally berated myself to keep my mind on the fight.  
  
As I rolled, I gathered my legs under me, and jumped, narrowly avoiding a horizontal slash by my axe-wielding counterpart. Not meeting the expected target, he slipped off balance, and I managed to land safely and get my shield up in time for the next assault.  
  
Then, my hand exploded in pain as the Gorgon shattered, and the axe bit deep. Cursing under my breath, I swung my lance underneath and up, hoping that I might be able to snap the shaft, or at the very least get the damn thing out of my hand.  
  
He pulled back though, so it was a futile gesture. Hopping backwards, I focused my energy, and formed a new shield to replace the one I broke. I grimaced, though it wasn't seen through the face-plate.  
  
_I probably can't manage another one. I'm getting too tired._  
  
I gain half a seconds time by doing that though. MedievalGallantmon was a little surprised I could regenerate my shield so easily. I lashed out suddenly.  
  
"DEMON'S DISASTER!"  
  
He swung the axe to block, as I suspected, but it gave me time to close the distance on him. If an attack was going to make it through, I was either going to have to be up close and personal, or he would have to be heavily distracted.  
  
"LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
I blocked on my reformed shield, and it held fast, a little to my surprise.  
  
_He must be weakening too. Good. Let's see if I can wrap this up._  
  
I started charging my shield again.  
  
_Grani. Again please.  
  
Of course._  
  
The digital dragon shimmered into play once more as I neared the white knight in front of me.  
  
Unfortunately, he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, and swung his axe. Grani's armor crumpled as the axe dug deep, and the dragon fell to the ground.  
  
More energy built in the Gorgon up as my anger supplied it.  
  
"GRANIII!"  
  
I was on him in an instant, and began hammering blows. I wanted the energy in my shield to be almost ready to burst on its own before releasing it. In my anger, though, I got sloppy, and he struck first.  
  
"LASER OF WYVERN!"  
  
I fell back, but managed to keep a hold of the energy in the shield. I was not happy, and it showed. But to my horror, I couldn't get off my knees. I had too much of myself built into the shield at the moment, and not enough reserves to stand.  
  
MedievalGallantmon grinned and held out the butt end of the axe. It glowed and he began writing in the air. I shakily raised my shield, focusing, just as he finished writing. He put his hand in the center, and the entire thing pulsed with power, just as the glyphs in my shield flashed.  
  
"FINAL CREST!"  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
The two beams flew out, connecting and we concentrated on them, the barrier moving back and forth constantly. I growled in my frustration, remembering Grani, who lay just behind my opponent, and shoved everything I had left out my shield.  
  
It was enough, and MedivalGallantmon was torn apart, becoming dust in the wind. I could feel my own data starting to fray at the edges from energy loss, and I pulled in his to compensate. I rose refreshed by the powerful data, not daring to dedigivolve any time soon.  
  
I heard a groan, and rushed to Grani.  
  
_I just hope the others are doing okay…_


	49. Getting Into Position

Chapter 46 – Getting Into Position  
  
"Well… crap."  
  
Lou just sighed, like this would be expected. Around us the corridor was thick with dust from what seemed to be a recent cave in over the place we came in from. I looked around, trying to find something, _anything_ we'd missed.  
  
Of course naturally, with our luck, there was nothing apparent. Near the rear of our group, Maria groaned.  
  
"Well? What are we supposed to do now?"  
  
Steve shrugged. Some things were better left unsaid, and no one really wanted to contemplate moving around looking for _another_ exit.  
  
_Who knows what could be guarding it._  
  
Lou sighed, and motioned us around; talking too much wasn't the smartest idea here, with unstable ceilings in addition to wandering hostile digimon.  
  
We walked for quite some time, not fully allowing the significance of the exit being blocked to set in. As it was, we just kept to the outer walls of the passage, hoping it would lead us out, and not into the arms of the enemy.  
  
Luck has a funny way of giving you good news while kicking your ass at the same time.

* * *

A small ding alerted Murmuxmon to a slight problem.  
  
The ding itself was insignificant. It meant that one of his troops had been deleted. He almost turned back to the machine he was building. It was far more important than any of his individual digimon, but something inside stirred, and told him to look anyways. He paused for a moment, and then, seeing he was at an acceptable place to break for the moment, and flipped open the monitor.  
  
His jaw dropped.  
  
His face whitened. Well, it would have if it could have, in any event.  
  
His eyes bulged. More than they were already.  
  
MedievalGallantmon, the very first henchman he'd ever had (recruited as a Kotemon back when they were rookies), the most reliable of all his henchmen (so reliable, in fact, that he'd been trying to use the machine he was creating at the moment to make another, only to order the Kotemon killed when it proved too annoying), and the only thing in all his existence that could be considered remotely close to a friend (he'd been trying to kill his own brother without success for quite some time now).  
  
Now, that isn't to say that MedievalGallantmon and Murmuxmon were friends. Far from it. Simply that their relationship was the most stress free of all the others he'd personally encountered in his long life.  
  
The other thing to note is that MedievalGallantmon was strong, stronger in fact, than Murmuxmon himself. MedievalGallantmon had been kept in line all these years by a combination of Murmuxmon's intellect, and the white knight's own code of honor. Therefore, his destruction changed things.  
  
Anything strong enough to kill him would be strong enough to kill Murmuxmon. Brutally, and with relative ease. He understood this. And he was aware that any overtures to the Digidestined would be made in vain, negating his skills at persuasion. All that left was his genius.  
  
Murmuxmon's gaze refocused on the machine he was working on. Then he was up and over to it in a flash, scrambling to complete it.  
  
_I'd known that the black lizard was powerful, more powerful than Armageddemon, but…_  
  
He worked with renewed vigor, and started about completing the task he set to. Completion of the plans in the manner he'd made them would be near impossible now. He'd have to alter them on the fly for a temporary infusion like process rather than the permanent, ability based, one.  
  
_Damn!_  
  
Several more dings went off from the device. He just kept working. He didn't want to know. After a moment, he paused, then rung for a minor worker. One answered almost immediately. He told it what to do without letting it speak, without even turning towards the door, so intent was he on finishing on time.  
  
"Gather everyone… and I mean _everyone_ into the main briefing room as soon as possible. The intruders are not only to be ignored for the moment, they are to be _avoided_. At all costs. Go."  
  
"May I ask-"  
  
"You may not. Simply do as I command."  
  
The minion left, and Murmuxmon continued to work frantically.  
  
_They're just henchmen, easily replaceable._

* * *

"PEPPER BREATH!"  
  
I smiled as Agumon took down the last digimon, but only on the surface. Something wasn't right here. Admittedly, I wasn't the greatest tactician, and I'm still not sure I'm completely back together from my binge, but something seemed off. And I don't like it when things seem off. It spooks me.  
  
"Great job, guys!"  
  
I smiled halfheartedly at Tai, who was giving encouragement. Something inside my head was screaming at me, like an itch I couldn't scratch, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was. After Tai had been calmed down, we continued on.  
  
I smiled tightly at Carmela as we crossed into yet another room. It had multiple paths leading out of it.  
  
"So… which way do we go?"  
  
Matt groaned.  
  
"Tai, why does this always happen when you're in the lead? No sense of direction at all… Like that one time…"  
  
Tai was indignant.  
  
"Hey! That was _one_ time.-"  
  
"Of about two hundred."  
  
"- And besides, I've never been here before, so I'd think you could cut me some slack!"  
  
"This way."  
  
"See Tai, even Carmela's digimon knows they way bet…ter…"  
  
Matt's head swiveled around to look at Kotemon. So did everyone else's. Tai grumbled.  
  
"Why that way?"  
  
Kotemon shuffled for a minute.  
  
"I heard something."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Kotemon, rested a bit now, took the lead with Carmela, and we quietly crept by several rooms, but Kotemon didn't pause, and just kept going.  
  
Eventually, we were on the balcony of above a large chamber, where there were an _incredible_ number of digimon gathered, looking towards a stage.  
  
Well, at least now the nameless pit in my stomach had a reason.  
  
After a moment, a large bird like humanoid came out onto the platform, dragging a chamber like device behind him, about his same height. He let it come to a stop gently, and addressed the crowd. The strangest thing about that crowd was that there weren't more than two or three ultimates in the whole group. The rest were champions and rookies with a few armors thrown in.  
  
The bird man spoke.  
  
"My loyal followers. Today is a great day. A day in which we make history. A day in which I rise to rival the powers of the sovereigns themselves! And it shall be glorious, for you shall help! You shall assist!  
  
"Now watch, watch as I ascend unto godhood!"  
  
Murmuxmon entered the machine then, and pressed something. It began humming. Then, he raised his right hand, and I gasped, not alone mind you, as he slaughtered his followers.  
  
"GEHENNA FLAME!"

* * *

I looked down at the blue and gold form, which lay crumpled on the ground. The proud dragon looked so weak there, so helpless…  
  
_Grani?  
  
I can hear you, I'm just… weak, that's all.  
  
Weak?! He nearly cut your wing off!  
  
I'll be fine, I promise.  
  
You don't look that way.  
  
And you need to look after the others.  
  
They can take care of themselves. Besides, I'm not supposed to solve all of their problems for them._  
  
I kneeled then, despite Grani's protest, and lifted my companion into my arms. The dragon was heavy, even for my strength, sapped as it was from battle. Then, I began to walk.  
  
_I hope I can find a way out of here soon._

* * *

We followed the corridor for some time, never once seeing a way out. We hadn't seen any digimon other than our own for some time, and it was beginning to make me rather nervous. I glanced down.  
  
_I hope that SnowAgumon'll be okay…_  
  
Well, the corridor didn't lead us out of danger; or out of anywhere really. Rather, it led into something. It led to what appeared to be a work room of some kind. Ahead of me, Lou was taking command.  
  
"Alright. We didn't mean to find this, but as long as we're here, well… start looking around, but don't touch anything yet. We must be certain."  
  
We nodded, and began looking around. I looked at several things, not really understanding the purpose for them, but that they were probably deadly.  
  
There were several things that I just had no clue of what purpose they could ever possibly be, when Phil called for us.  
  
"Hey, it's a map!"  
  
We rushed over, and lo and behold, it _was_ a map. It was a little strange, what with it being electronic and all, but it was still a floor plan and layout of the base we were in. Phil grinned.  
  
"We can get out easy with this!"  
  
I nodded, and took it from him gently. I looked at it, and frowned. Then I frowned again.  
  
_That can't be right…_  
  
But it was.  
  
"One problem, Phil."  
  
They all turned to look at me from where I was holding the map. I scanned it one more time to be sure.  
  
"There are no more exits."  
  
They all just gaped at me like fish. It actually would have been kind of funny, if the situation wasn't so grim. Phil's face contorted in anger suddenly, and he unburdened himself on the machine sitting next to him.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
The machine itself, sparked for a moment, then settled down. Phil scratched the back of his head.  
  
"Heh heh. Oops. Sorry about-"  
  
He never finished, as the machine suddenly exploded. Muchomon rose to the occasion to protect him.  
  
**Digivolution  
  
Muchomon Digivolve to… FlareRizamon!  
  
FlareRizamon Digivolve to… Gigadramon!**  
  
Half a second later, we were on the ceiling of the room, all holding onto the ultimate level's tail, since the explosion of the one machine had started setting off all of the others. I shuddered as the machine I'd been standing next to let off the biggest boom yet. Maria massaged her forehead.  
  
"Well, at least he took the anti-digivolution shield down."

* * *

Digimon screamed as they were deleted. The room was now sealed, and Murmuxmon was taking no chances. The few ultimates died first, victims to his power, and the others followed. Chaos reigned as they scuttled around in terror. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part, was that as they died, their data was being sucked in just we'd seen Guilmon do to Takato's. It went into the machine, and from there into Murmuxmon, and from my point of view, he seemed to get stronger by the second. I turned away and buried my face in TK's chest. He started stroking my back.  
  
"It'll be alright, Kari, I promise. We'll beat him, and that'll be the end of it."  
  
I nodded and looked up and over the ledge again. The dying was almost over now, the last of the digimon being deleted and sucked up. Murmuxmon was glowing inside the chamber. He walked out and smirked. He, unsurprisingly, started talking to himself.  
  
"That went even better than expected. Though I'm not entirely sure just how much stronger I am now…"  
  
Gatomon squirmed up next to me. I looked at her, and she answered my unspoken question.  
  
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to fight, Kari. The didn't feed us anything while we were in there. I've barely got the energy to stay Gatomon. I can't imagine how the others feel."  
  
I grimaced, and TK wrapped his arms a little tigher. I wasn't sure how we'd get out of this one. It'd all sounded fine when Tai'd told us, but I think it was one of his 'I'll figure it out as we go' plans'.  
  
I snapped my head over as there was a bellow of rage from next to us. little ways over, Kotemon leaped from the balcony.  
  
"MURDERER!"  
  
Murmuxmon looked up, then causually knocked the little swordsmon aside. Kotemon rolled along the ground, stopping when he was on his feet once more. Kotemon leveled his shinnai at Murmuxmon.  
  
"You murdered my family. You enslaved those I held dead, forcing me to do your bidding. You told me they leved when you had already feasted on their deaths. I don't care how much stronger you are, cretin, this day you fall!" 


	50. Check…

Chapter 47 - Check…  
  
Kotemon shook with rage as he faced down Murmuxmon. I was really impressed by his courage. I looked down at Agumon.  
  
"Are you _sure_ you don't have anything left, buddy?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"It was a starvation diet, Tai! I don't have the energy to digivolve."  
  
Matt was panicking. It was only a matter of time before Murmuxmon lost patience with the banter he and Kotemon were throwing around and attacked.  
  
"What about you, Gabumon?"  
  
Gabumon just shook his head.  
  
"I've got some left!"  
  
Sighing with relief I turned to look at the brave soul. It was Bearmon. Without hesitation, or even waiting for me to say something, Bearmon jumped off the balcony to support Kotemon. I groaned. Jun ran to the edge beside Carmela as Murmuxmon looked up at us.  
  
He said something, probably commenting on the fact that we were all out of our prison, but I didn't hear it properly. Matt was too busy shaking me.  
  
"Are we depending on Jun for our salvation?!"  
  
I nodded sadly. I understood.  
  
"It looks like it, yes."  
  
I could tell Matt wanted to break down and cry. And I understood. Jun would never let him live it down, and because she'd proved herself able, she'd be coming along to the digital world every time we went.  
  
She'd insist.  
  
Matt would probably get over it after he'd adjusted, but right now the thought that she even had a digimon was still stunning him, and now she was saving his butt. I managed not to snicker. Sora would have killed me.  
  
I redirected my attention to the edge of the ledge, and forced Matt to do the same. Murmuxmon sneered and raised his hand to strike at Bearmon and Kotemon. I made what is called a command descision.  
  
"Everyone, give what you have left to those two."  
  
"But…"  
  
I cut Sora off.  
  
"If they can't digivolve, we're dead anyways. It's the only chance we have."  
  
She nodded, and the digimon all glowed, sending out whatever they could. Whatever they had left.  
  
"GEHENNA FLAME!"  
  
I crossed my fingers as the light and the attack hit at the same time.  
  
**Digivolution  
  
Kotemon digivolve to… Yasyamon!  
  
Bearmon digivolve to… Grizzmon!  
  
Yasyamon digivolve to… Asuramon!  
  
Grizzmon digivolve to… GrappLeomon!**  
  
The two ultimates stood there, relatively fine, if a little scratched. Not bad considering it was a pumped up mega. Without wasting any more time, they attacked.

* * *

I paused in attempting to find an exit. Grani was getting a bit heavy.  
  
Looking at the forked path beside me, I choose the one that led off to the right. It had to lead outside eventually, right?  
  
Trudging through the halls was misery, but at least they were clear of the minor annoyances, like enemy digimon.  
  
_Or not._  
  
A Gigadramon came out of the tunnel ahead of me. I shifted my stance and brought out my shield, charging it with energy.  
  
"Stop!"  
  
I blinked.  
  
_Humans?_  
  
Then I actually recognized him. It was the American Digidestined, Phil. I reverted my shield into my hand and re-shifted Grani in my arms. I nodded down at them, as the others began to join him on the ground.  
  
"Do you know the way out?"  
  
They shook their heads. Lou answered with a bit more precision.  
  
"No. All of the exits are closed. We found a map."  
  
_Great. Nothing is ever easy._  
  
"I don't suppose you could lead me to a former entrance, could you? My partner… he needs help."  
  
They nodded, and Lou motioned with his hands as they reversed course.  
  
"There's one not too far this way."  
  
I followed, and true enough, there was one not a hundred yards away from where we were. I nodded down to them. They wouldn't see a smile through my faceplate anyways.  
  
"Thank you. Now stand back."  
  
Shifting Grani again, I leveled my shield at the wall.  
  
"JUDECCA PRISON!"  
  
It took a lot to punch through the wall. The fight with MedievalGallantmon had refreshed me somewhat, but my strength was still not all that it could have been. I could feel the data waiting, just out of reach. It was a strange sensation, but I supposed it was because our forms were so similar. I ignored the feeling, and let the beam go when I stopped feeling resistance.  
  
Sunlight, finally.  
  
I looked down at the others.  
  
"Are you coming?"  
  
They looked at each other, but ultimately Lou shook his head.  
  
"No… we should find the other Digidestined."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I need to get to Azulongmon and inform him of the situation - and get Grani help."  
  
Lou nodded.  
  
"Thank you, for all you have done. For Otamamon, and this…"  
  
I nodded, an exit was important to them. We quickly went our separate ways.

* * *

"FIST OF ASURA!"  
  
"CYCLONE TURBINE!"  
  
I sighed. Asuramon's attacks weren't having the effect I'd hoped they would against the other digimon, but at least the constant six-fisted assault was keeping the other digimon from attacking them for a bit.  
  
I gazed at my digimon, taking in it's new appearance. It was tall, six-armed, and three faced, just as the Asura of legend were. He was red, and fire seemed to leap off his hands as he struck, making Murmuxmon flinch, but not truly damaging him.  
  
It was not the solution I'd hoped for, but then I'd never expected for My digimon to take a true forefront in the battle, either.  
  
His companion, GrappLeomon, was having just as little luck as Asuramon. GrappLeomon was a bipedal lion with several cybernetic enhancements, most notably covering the wrists, as his hands rotated as incredible speed, supposedly increasing the damage I assumed.  
  
But still, it had little effect.  
  
I smiled grimly, and clutched my digivice tighter. I had just gotten Joe back. I would not loose him here. I would not. With that settled, I silently urged Asuramon onwards, hoping he could eventually break through the mega leveled digimon's tough defenses.  
  
"GEHENNA FLAME!"  
  
Asuramon and GrappLeomon both went to dodge, and did so - barely. This would not be any easy fight by any stretch of the imagination.  
  
"MULTIPLE FACES!"  
  
"BEAST KILLING WAVE!"  
  
Asuramon's head spun, and as each of his three faces looked upon his opponent, they spewed fire, even as Jun's digimon started launching bladed of air in waves from its kicks.  
  
I closed my eyes in frustration. While the long sequence of attacks slightly dazed Murmuxmon, there was still too little damage being dealt, at the cost of too much of their stamina. Eventually our digimon would get too tired, and then… well, I didn't want to think about it.  
  
I just stood there, and believed in our victory, because that was all I could do.

* * *

He watched the pool.  
  
He watched Murmuxmon fight, and be out fought by two ultimates. He shook his head in resignation.  
  
_At least the fool is expendable at this point._  
  
He glanced over his shoulder at the approaching figure. He turned back to the pool, even as he addressed her.  
  
"I assume you have it."  
  
"I wouldn't have come back without it."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Good."  
  
There was a slight shuffling behind him.  
  
"Actually, I couldn't tell one set from another, so I simply brought them all."  
  
He nodded again. It would be something of a pain to decipher all of the documents, but to have _it_ would be well worth the effort.  
  
And who knew what other hidden gems would be within the stack of Murmuxmon's blueprints anyways?  
  
He turned his attention fully back to the pool and gestured at a rack he'd had an Ogremon build.  
  
"Place them there."  
  
"Of course."  
  
He could hear his will being done even as he watched the fight progress further. He shook his head again. The fool was worthless now that he was without his inventions. Just as he had been all those years ago. Daemon reflected on that for a moment.  
  
_Of course, he tended to lay more complete plans in those days. Perhaps he has grown overconfident._  
  
He shrugged the thought off. It mattered little. He could tell the way the battle was going. To beat the Digidestined in battle, one needed to be swift, precise, and overwhelmingly powerful. None of these aspects Murmuxmon possessed. He nodded shortly to himself as he determined that the Digidestined would doubtlessly triumph in this encounter.  
  
And if by some miracle they didn't, his work would be easier.  
  
But even so, he continued to watch. No matter who won, it would be important to know the manner of the loser's defeat, so that he would not make the same mistake, and determine any new weapons gifted to the winner. He grew a cold smile as the girl came up beside him.  
  
_Still, watching the ants struggle does possess a certain amount of entertainment. Perhaps some will be left to provide such entertainment when the final phase is complete._  
  
He glanced over at the girl once more, noting that she was not watching the struggle, but him instead, awaiting orders. He sighed.  
  
"Very well. You are dismissed until my next summons. Your work has been… above average."  
  
As close to actual praise as Daemon would ever give a servant. The girl nodded and left. Such was her role in the scheme of things. Servant. It was the nature of all things to have a master, even the only master was time, and death.  
  
As he once more reflected on the days of before, he wondered what his master would say when next they met.

* * *

"FIST OF ASURA!"  
  
"GEHENNA FLAME!"  
  
_Oh… come on! Get up GrappLeomon! UP!_  
  
As I thought about it, GrappLeomon did just, that rising to his feet and diving in at the enemy. This attack would do it, I was sure.  
  
"CYCLONE TURBINE!"  
  
The attack hammered in and I jumped lightly. This one was in the bag, I knew it. I glanced over at Matt, who was looking nervous. I shrugged it off. Matt was always such a worry wart all the time.  
  
_He needs to loosen up a little._  
  
"NECRO INTERROGATION!"  
  
My eyes widened. Murmuxmon's attack hit my poor GrappLeomon dead on, lifting him and surrounding him as he howled in pain. I got closer to the edge.  
  
"Hey, you! Stop that!"  
  
Then, a swirling amount of light came out of GrappLeomon and went into Murmuxmon, throwing Bearmon back at me.  
  
"Bearmon!"  
  
I caught Bearmon, but his weight sent us both backwards. He looked up at me, a little dazed.  
  
"Sorry, Jun… I tried…"  
  
I smiled back down at him.  
  
"Don't worry, you did your best, and that's all that matters. I promise. We'll win for sure!"  
  
I glanced out. Now alone, Carmela's Asuramon wasn't doing the best. It was all he could do to dodge those stupid flames, and send back his own.  
  
"MULTIPLE FACES!"  
  
"GEHE-"  
  
"METAL SMIRK BOMB!"  
  
"DARKSIDE ATTACK!"  
  
Murmuxmon stumbled from the two shots to his back as two other digimon came in. I heard Izzy behind us.  
  
"Gigadramon and MetalMamemon!"  
  
Murmuxmon spun to face them, but Asuramon took advantage of it.  
  
"FIST OF ASURA!"  
  
Then the other two closed while he was distracted.  
  
"METAL CLAW!"  
  
"GIGABYTE WING!"  
  
Murmuxmon shielded himself with an arm, then aimed wildly.  
  
"GEHENNA FLAME!"  
  
He got super lucky when he hit both MetalMamemon and Gigadramon, but he did get them.  
  
"NECRO INTERROGATION!"  
  
"FIST OF ASURA!"  
  
"DARKSIDE ATTACK!"  
  
They tried, but it proved to be a little too late as the energy was sucked right out of MetalMamemon. One of the other guys ran out and caught his digimon while the others covered for him. I frowned. This bad guy was not going away like he should have by now. But, at least we still had two digimon left.  
  
I felt Matt's hand on my shoulder and smiled up at him as the digimon down on the ground watched each other carefully, like in one of those old westerns. The anticipation was killing me.  
  
Then, it was on.  
  
"GIGABYTE WING!"  
  
"GEHENNA FLAME!"  
  
"MULTIPLE FACES!"  
  
I grinned as I watched. I knew we would win. The Digidestined couldn't loose. Not as long as I was here. Matt wouldn't let them. 


	51. …And Mate

Chapter 48 - …And Mate

I watched carefully as my partner, Asuramon, started pummeling Murmuxmon with his massive fists. It didn't do a lot of damage so far as I could tell, but it kept Murmuxmon from keeping his total attention on Gigadramon, who was picking himself up off the ground.

"FIST OF ASURA!"

Asuramon upped his attack so that his ally could regain flight, but it was a little hard for the winged digimon to roll over so his wings would work properly once more.

"GEHENNA FLAME!"

Asuramon braced himself, folding his four arms over his face and chest, bracing himself. I clutched my digivice tightly, willing Asuramon to survive, to conquer.

I was really starting to scare myself, but I understood, too. If we lost… I didn't want to think about it.

* * *

"Come on, Gigadramon…" 

I watched painfully as my digimon tried to get up off the ground, something difficult when his wings were trapped below him. I felt Maria squeeze my hand, and I looked over and gave her a half smile before turning my attention back to the fight.

"GEHENNA FLAME!"

The gout of flame pouring from Murmuxmon crashed out over the other Digimon, Asuramon, who braced himself rather than dodging. Then he countered.

"MULTIPLE FACES!"

Asuramon's head started spinning around, revealing all the faces in rapid succession. Each spewed out a different colored orb, the faces spinning faster until it looked like a multi colored stream of energy. Murmuxmon attempted to dodge, but was clipped in the shoulder. Being a mega, he successfully ignored the attack, but at least it looked like it did a _little_ damage.

With a roar, Gigadramon managed to flip himself over and get off the ground again. I grinned as he targeted Murmuxmon's back.

"DARKSIDE ATTACK!"

Gigadramon opened his mouth, spewing forth black fire, scorching Murmuxmon with its heat.

"Ahhh!"

Murmuxmon lashed out backwards with his fist, spinning around as he did so, hitting Gigadramon off to the side. He growled.

"GEHENNA FLAME!"

"DARKSIDE ATTACK!"

Gigadramon used the dark flame from his mouth to block the orange flames from Murmuxmon's hands, but it was a loosing battle, considering the difference in levels.

"FIST OF ASURA!"

Asuramon used the distraction to get close and start pummeling Murmuxmon's back with its fists. It came a little to late though.

"Muchomon!"

My digimon had used up too much power and I raced forward to try and catch him. I grabbed the red bird from the ground and started sprinting back towards where Maria, Lou and Steve waited.

"You all right, Muchomon?"

"I'm okay… I think I might be up for digivolving in a few minutes. Just gimmie a minute to catch my breath.

I gazed up at the fight in progress. Murmuxmon was concentrating on Asuramon fully now, and unless we came up with a miracle, we weren't going to get those few minutes… and even that probably wouldn't help that much.

Maria spoke up.

"Wait… maybe we can try what the other digidestined did earlier. Powering up the digimon already out there!"

I grinned.

"Yeah! Muchomon'll definitely be able to get up there and kick some butt then!"

Maria looked a little guilty.

"Actually… I was thinking more of Asuramon… If we can provide enough energy, we might be able to push it into mega."

"Oh. Right." _I guess it's a valid point… _"Ready, Muchomon?"

He nodded.

"Then let's go."

Muchomon concentrated, and energy flowed from my digimon to Asuramon.

* * *

I squeezed Carmela's hand again as her partner tried valiantly to keep up with the mega in front of him. Carmela didn't have enough experience to see it, but I could tell Asuramon was loosing strength rapidly. His attacks were coming less frequently. 

"MULTIPLE FACES!"

He started up his beam attack, but Murmuxmon blocked it with a slowly burning hand then raised the other.

"GEHENNA FLAME!"

Fire shot out and consumed him. But then, streaks of energy shot out from the lower cave where the New York digidestined were, and struck as well. The energy helped, and Asuramon was able to survive the attack. Then Carmela let go of my hand and stepped a little closer to the ledge. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands over her digivice.

"Please…"

A glowing pink light struck her in the back, came out from between her hands and shot out at Asuramon, who glowed in its power.

**Digivolution**

**Asuramon digivolve to… SlashAngemon!**

The new mega was tall, and dangerous looking. Well, at least as dangerous looking as an angel can get. It's wings were made of metal blades, as were its arms. There were also blades mounted to the undersides of its feet and its forehead, all of it the same metal, likely Chrome Digizoid. Murmuxmon took in the sight for a moment, then attacked without hesitation.

"NECRO INTERROGATION!"

The void of energy appeared around SlashAngemon, attempting to drain him like the others.

"HEAVEN'S RIPPER!"

SlashAngemon's wings glowed brightly, and expanded to full wingspan, bursting through and eliminating the void. It smiled coldly at Murmuxmon.

"No longer will you terrorize innocents, or kill their families. Fall Murmuxmon, fall like the demon you are. HEAVENLY ESPADA!"

SlashAngemon swooped into a charge and sliced through Murmuxmon with ease. He deleted swiftly, and SlashAngemon glowed and dedigivolved as he fell to the ground. He became far too small for Kotemon, and Carmela collapsed soon after.

"Carmela!"

I rushed to her side even as I heard Palmon using her 'poison ivy' to gather the fallen digimon. I nearly collapsed myself in relief when I saw that it was just over exhaustion. I picked her up gently, and Gomamon took her digimon. Overexausted himself, SlashAngemon had gone all the way back to his baby stage, MetalKoromon.

I looked at Tai, who nodded.

"Okay, let's try to find a way out of here."

* * *

I strode into the valley, carrying Grani in my arms. He was getting a little heavy, but that was the least I could do for my friend. Sovereigns knew he carried _me_ all the time. I grunted as I set him down. 

_"Still with me Grani?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"Good."_

Not seeing Azulongmon in the area, I reached out with my mind.

_"Azulongmon? Are you there? I need help with Grani. He's hurt."_

I didn't get an answer for a moment, and was about to try again when he came rushing in.

"Takato! How did it go?"

I grimaced under the faceplate.

"Fine, as far as I know, but I need help with Grani, fast!"

He nodded, the closed his eyes and looked like he was concentrating briefly before opening them again.

"I've summoned Gennai."

I nodded, and returned my attention to my friend. Gennai appeared quickly, and not in his own sweet time as was usual. He took one look at the situation and started giving me orders on how to treat my friend. I followed without hesitation.

* * *

I carefully lead the Digidestined down a series of small ledges in order to get to the bottom of where we'd fought Murmuxmon, where the New York Digidestined were waiting for us. After a few minutes, we reached the bottom, where they waited for us, Agumon a step behind me like always. I stuck out my hand to Lou, who took it. 

"Thanks for bailing us out, again. Couldn't have done it without you."

Lou smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

"No, you would have figured it out eventually. We merely helped things along."

Another one of them, slightly stout, with a hat, Phil, if I remembered correctly, spoke up.

"Who had that SlashAngemon? That was pretty cool."

Joe answered that one for Carmela who was still out cold in his arms.

"She did… it's taken a lot out of her though."

Steve, his SnowAgumon in his arms squinted through his glasses at her.

"Who's she? I don't remember her…"

I took over for Joe again.

"Her name's Carmela. From what I understand, she's only had her partner for a week. Kind of a record for digivolutions."

Lou and Steve nodded, but Phil got weird look… until Maria noticed and elbowed him in the gut. I ignored it and continued.

"You guys find a way out?"

Maria nodded and they started leading us back down the tunnels.

"Yeah. Well, sort of. All the entrances were collapsed, but we led ChaosGallantmon to what _used_ to be an exit, and he re-opened it with an attack."

I frowned.

"Speaking of which… where _is_ Takato, anyways?"

* * *

Gennai groaned and looked up at me. 

"Look, Takato, I'm telling you it'll be fine. Matt and Tai got hit in the _real world_ and they came out just fine. You'll be okay if you dedigivolve. It's not that bad."

I frowned.

"Look, I know the process was the same, that's the only reason I risked it, but I assumed the process with the digivice made it… safer. I mean, what if BlackGuilmon missed some of the data?"

Gennai sighed.

"You'd know if that happened. Trust me, you'd know. It's like… missing a toe, or a finger or something. You'd just know. Does anything _feel_ off?"

"No… but…"

"'But' nothing. You're fine. Just do it!"

Gulping a little apprehensively, I closed my eyes and dedigivolved. When I hit the ground, I felt all over, trying to find something out of place. Nothing.

"Okay… so I'm okay here. What about the real world though? Am I part digital something… like a digimon… or _you_?"

Gennai sighed again.

"You're freaking out over nothing, Takato. Besides. If that were going to make a difference, it would have happened the first time you biomerged in Zhuqiamon's lair."

I blushed.

"Oh. Right. Heh, sorry."

He shook his head.

"It's all right."

* * *

Kari was leaning on my shoulder as we walked through the tunnels to get out. I glanced down at her, more than a little concerned. 

"You okay, Kari?"

She smiled wanly.

"I'm fine, TK. Just tired."

I frowned.

"You sure? Because it seems like you got tired really fast back there in the fight – and you didn't even participate in it."

She shook her head, trying not to seem to tired at the moment.

"No, it's fine, really. I… It's just everything catching up to me at once."

"You sure, Kari?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. Just get me to a TV, and home into my own bed. I couldn't sleep too much on those floors. I'll be okay after a little rest."

I nodded, and didn't say anymore on the subject – but I wasn't sure I believed her.

* * *

Several hours after we left the Odaiba digidestined to go through their own digi-port, I stood with Maria out on a New York wharf looking over the water. Maria was irritated with me, I knew that much. 

"Phil, what was your problem back there? You were downright rude… and to someone who passed out saving our butts, too!"

I sighed and was silent for a bit, attempting to put my feelings into words. I adjusted Muchomon in my arms.

"I just… I hate being useless."

She frowned at me, not getting it.

"Hey! We made a difference! If we weren't there-!"

I cut her off.

"I know. I know they couldn't have done it if we hadn't been there. But the only thing we did was take lumps for them… What kind of help is that?"

She sighed.

"I… think I understand what you're getting at, but what does that have to do with being so rude to Carmela?"

He sighed.

"I guess… I don't know. We've taken hits for years, all of the effort, with only to ultimates to show for it so far. Then she waltzes in, and has a mega in under a week. What does that say about us?"

Maria bit her lip.

"What do you think it says, Phil?"

I shook my head and looked at the water again.

"I'm not sure… no. I know what it says… it says that sooner or later, we'll be useless… well, more useless than we usually are."

She started getting steamed again.

"We _aren't_ useless Phil."

I groaned.

"We _will_ be. This time there were two megas, and we couldn't digivolve for most of the time. What happens next time? What if next time the Odaiba crew isn't there to pulls us out of the fire after we distract the enemy for them? We don't have the firepower."

She groaned.

"Great. Look, I'm going to go. I'm… not saying you're wrong, Phil… but I think you're being a little pessimistic about this."

I sighed and looked down at Muchomon, sleeping in my arms.

_We don't have what it takes to protect her, buddy. But we will someday. Someday we'll have what it takes to take on anybody – even WarGreymon - for her if we have to._


	52. One Game Ends…

Chapter 49 – One Game Ends…

Despite the extreme lack of color in the Dark Ocean, the inhabitants were occasionally treated to several unique sights.

Such as Daemon cursing up a storm while pacing around.

Such sights were generally viewed safest from a great distance away, but a few usually got closer, much like the people who slow to gawk at bad car wrecks on the freeway.

Usually such a thing was fatal, but today Daemon was too caught up in his own problems to consider deleting the annoying flies that gawked at him.

Finally the Demon Lord Mega calmed himself. This was accomplished in the usual manner.

"EVIL INFERNO!"

When he had sufficiently settled his nerves, Daemon resumed pacing, without the cursing this time. These events bore looking into.

The outcome had been as he had suspected. Even the new destined gaining the mega level hadn't been surprising.

But the _how_…

_It is… troubling. Portents of that nature must be studied thoroughly._

Eventually, he paused in his pacing as a sudden suspicion hit him like one of the boy's blows.

He raced back to the pool and focused it on a person. Focusing in on the real world was difficult, but his efforts were well rewarded this time. He then focused it upon an object of power, one that should also have been in the real world. It was… but not where he expected, for where it should have shown two different people, the person he focused on and the carrier of the item, it showed only as single face.

Daemon began to laugh. He was not truly in any better position by this development that he could tell, but the irony of the situation was not lost on him.

He laughed.

And laughed.

The howling laughter echoed through the Dark Ocean, and all the digimon in the realm shuddered and pelt pity for the object of Daemon's mirth.

* * *

When we got to Azulongmon's valley, having left the Ney York Digidestined to go home, Takato was sleeping, his head resting against BlackGuilmon's side. Gennai appeared then. 

"Hello, Digidestined!"

I smiled.

"Hello, Gennai."

Tentomon buzzed around my shoulders, and responded as well.

"It's good to see you again."

Tai, on the other hand, only nodded, and walked over to Takato, and brought his leg back to kick the sleeping boy. Sora smacked him before he could, however.

"Tai Kamiya! What do you think you're doing?"

He turned, a frown on his face.

"Look, Sora. Takato's _got_ to answer some questions, here. He's been ducking out of them for years, and it's beginning to wear thin."

Sora frowned herself.

"I agree on that much, Tai, but he just got deleted today. I'd think you could wait for him to wake up after that happened!"

Tai opened his mouth, but was cut off by a groan and Takato sleepily blinked his eyes and looked around.

"Uh… heh heh."

Tai smirked at Sora, who simply arched an eyebrow, daring him to do something about it. He backed down.

_And people say he can't take a hint._

Since Tai was occupied with Sora, I decided to take the fore here. I walked over.

"Hey Takato."

He smiled a little.

"Hi, Izzy. Glad to see you're all right."

I nodded.

"Yeah, it was tough for a while there, but we seem to have come out of it all right. We need to talk."

He blinked at the sudden change in tone and topic, but nodded. The others started listening to the story as well.

"Yeah, I figured that. I…"

Gennai interrupted.

"Telling them everything that happened would not be wise, Takato. Tell them what you must."

We all turned to stare at Gennai. Takato sounded confused.

"But… doesn't the biomerge cover the last of the things that shouldn't be said?"

Gennai sighed.

"Not… necessarily. There are still other details about your world that would be… harmful to them. Like _exactly_ why you knew so much about them before you came here."

Gennai's eyes narrowed at this, and Takato nodded, getting the point.

"That's probably true… okay, I'll just talk about the bio merging."

Takato sighed and looked over at BlackGuilmon, who was still sleeping before continuing.

"It's simple, really. Bio merge digivolution is the process in which a digimon achieves the mega level by merging with their partner. Not much to it really."

He chuckled.

"Just, usually, I use my digivice to start it up instead of being deleted."

Tai nodded slowly, trying to wrap himself around that. Ken broke in after a moment.

"So… uh, what did you tell our parents?"

_Oh boy…_

Another while later, we were back on better terms with each other, and were about to head out.

"The rest of you go ahead. Azulongmon and I need to talk to Takato for a bit."

They looked at us, and Tai looked like he was going to insist on staying. Gennai just waved his hands in a shooing motion.

"Go on. It's just some news from the southern quadrant that's best to be given in private, that's all."

Tai nodded, and turned around. T.K. leveled his digivice.

"Digiport open!"

* * *

When they were gone, Gennai's face came up serious. 

"Think up something to tell them about home, Takato. This _cannot_ get back to them. I realize you had to tell them everything about you, but this is worse."

I gulped.

_How bad can this possibly get?_

"You and I both know Carmela should not have been able to get Kotemon to mega, right?"

I nodded. There was almost no way she could have done that, Carmela should not have had the energy, and Kotemon didn't have the experience. Gennai continued.

"The ability to do that takes more power than most Digidestined have. Sure, most can do it eventually… but the speed is the issue here."

He paused for a moment.

"Note I said _most_."

"Something different about her?"

"Yes. This will seem off topic, but bear with me. Do you know why Kari was not called to the digital world when Tai and the others first came?"

"She was sick, and didn't make it to camp, right?"

He gave me a look.

"Do you really think it would have made that much of a difference?"

"Well, now that I think about it…"

"Kari was _not_ the eighth child listed in the prophecy. Or at least, she wasn't supposed to be. When Tai brought her back, we… circumvented fate, brought out and fused the crest of light into her."

I blinked. That was new.

"Why?"

"That takes a bit of explaining, after all, there are other Digidestined without crests, right? Well, there are twelve virtues, represented by the crests, in the digital world."

I frowned.

"I thought it was nine? Well, ten if there's a crest of miracles to go with the egg."

"There is, and one for the crest of fate as well. Willis has the digi-egg of fate, if you recall."

"Then you still only have eleven, Gennai."

He sighed.

"That would be the problem. Did you ever wonder why, besides Wizardmon, Gatomon started out on Myotismon's side? Why Gatomon couldn't even _find_ Kari for the longest time? Why Kari was sucked into the Dark Ocean? We used the crest of light as a seal."

_A seal for what?_

"A seal… for the crest of darkness."

My eyes went wide.

"What?"

"Yes."

I groaned. Then frowned.

"What does this have to do with Carmela?"

Gennai sighed.

"She was originally supposed to bear the crest of light, with Kotemon at her side."

I frowned.

"But the prophecy specifically said 'arrows of hope and light'. How does that work?"

Gennai looked worried.

"I think we outsmarted ourselves."

"Huh?"

"I think the prophecy _forced_ us to go this far with it, bonding it to Kari, creating the 'arrow of light'. We tried to stem the darkness inside Kari… but the fact that none of Kotemon's levels had anything to do with arrows of any sort makes that obvious now."

I nodded slowly.

"Yes, but Angemon didn't have that either."

Gennai nodded.

"True, but the point still stands, since nothing short of Kotemon's mega form could produce an energy blast of the light element. And if he was meant to be a mega then…"

I finished the thought.

"Then risking Tai and Matt would have been useless."

He nodded, and resumed.

"So in the battle, the crest returned to Carmela, giving her a boost at a vital moment."

He looked me in the eye now.

"But that means that the seal is off the crest of darkness now! We have to make sure that it _never_ activates. Ever."

"Oh?"

He nodded.

"The day it activates is the end of the digital world as we know it."

"What!"

He sighed and sat down on a rock. Not to be rude, I sat down in front of him.

"There's another prophecy. There are some things that happen before the activation of the crest of darkness, like the activation of the crest of fate, but until the crest of darkness activates, the entire thing can be averted. After that, there's no turning back. At that point the destruction of the digital world begins, and can't be reversed."

I gulped.

"Wow…"

He nodded.

"You need to keep an eye on things, Takato. If it activates… nothing will be able to stop… whatever this 'god-knight' is from taking over the digital world."

I nodded seriously.

"I'll do what I can."

He nodded.

"Good. Oh, one thing before you go. There _is_ a little news from the south…"

I looked at him curiously.

"Oh?"

He nodded.

"I wouldn't usually mention it, but in light of the excuse I probably should. There have been some attacks there. Nothing your friends can't handle, but it's still a little odd. I'll let you know when we know more."

I nodded, waved goodbye, and left, my thoughts still on Kari, and the crest of darkness.

* * *

Daemon had resumed his pacing. 

No one was really getting close this time, Daemon seemed to be in the mood to obliterate things. He glanced over to where his servants stood, ready for his orders. He motioned to the only male.

"Slow down the attacks for a bit."

The boy nodded.

"Yes sir."

Daemon grunted.

"Instead, travel to the southern digital quadrant. See if you can't convince more wild digimon to cross over. Go."

The boy nodded, and walked a short distance away before a gate opened for him and he stepped through. Daemon turned his attention back to the two females and a single digimon, who were still kneeling. He motioned to the dark haired one.

"I have a different sort of task for you."

She arched an eyebrow. She was the impudent one. As she was the only one with something resembling a success rate, he let it pass.

"Yes. There is a being of great power within this place. I lost track of it during a vital phase of last year's plan. It could prove extremely useful for us. Find it, and bring it back."

She rolled her eyes, but still instantly turned to go. Daemon stopped her before she could take more than a single step, and she wondered if she had perhaps gone too far that time.

"Stay close, girl. I may need you for another task shortly should Azulongmon or his pawns prove too curious about the tasks of your compatriots."

She nodded, and left for real this time, trudging into the jungle by the cliff side. The final girl was left kneeling. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke.

"And I, master?"

Daemon smiled, though no one could see it through the darkness of his hood.

"You and I, girl, shall make the final adjustments to the plan. This time, we can't afford failure. Not if we are to pave the way for my master's return. He grows impatient."

The girl nodded, and remained kneeling until he motioned for her to rise.

"Come. There is much to prepare for, much to plan."


	53. …And Another Begins

Chapter 50 - …And Another Begins

And time passed.

Things were quiet for a time after we came back, at least on the digital threat-to-all-existence level.

Tensions, though, have been building the last few months, and it's likely to come to a head soon.

Tai is especially down on me, and I can tell he's restraining himself because he knows it's not my fault I can't say anything. He seems to be doing well otherwise though, considering everything. And we made it back by Christmas, much to everyone's relief.

Even Sora's a little worried over the fact that I can't say anything, and I really can't say I blame her for it. She's been giving me funny looks lately, which isn't often considering I've taken to avoiding her and most of the others.

Izzy and Mimi are still okay, all things considered. They had to be dropped off near the resort they were captured in, so that they could make their way back without too many questions. Things were still a little rough. Izzy was determined to make another go of the honeymoon, trying to get it right, but Mimi talked him out of it.

Matt and Jun are doing well, but I think the fact that Jun has a digimon now is still giving him some shivers. I know I don't like thinking about it. Matt seems to be in the same boat as Tai in regards to what happened, but Jun doesn't see the big deal, which is good I suppose.

Joe. Joe's back now, and he seems happier, but we're also seeing a lot more of him than even before he dropped off the face of the earth. He's back in school now, but he seems a lot more relaxed than he previously did, and tends to spend a lot of spare time down in the area with us.

Carmela seems to be adapting well to the idea that digimon are our friends, so that's a plus. I don't know that I've seen her outside Joe's company since he's come back, but she seems to be getting along okay. She seems… brighter. Her attitude is more cheerful and much more upbeat from what I'd seen, but I can't tell if it's from the crest of light, or the fact that Joe's back. I try to keep an eye on her when she's in the area, and she looks okay. She's not the one I'm supposed to look out for in any case.

Kari. I haven't seen anything all that unusual, but then I'm really trying to respect her privacy, not to mention keep TK from being jealous. From what I understand about the other crests, they're brought out when the bearer experiences great amounts of the trait the crest represents. Seriously upsetting Kari at this point is therefore on my list of no-no's.

TK, on the other hand, seems worried about her. He's seen more of her, so I try to be supportive and lend a listening ear. I feel a little guilty about all this, but I keep telling myself it's for the best. Obliteration of the digital world is bad after all. And telling anyone… well, it could get back to Kari, or just make her feel alienated, which goes back to that list of no-no's. So I just try to be as discrete as possible. Other than a few worries about Kari though, TK is doing well.

Ken seems to be taking the fact that I still can't say much of anything in stride. But then, he and I have other things to worry about. Namely the fact that his parents were really freaked out about his disappearance, and the fact that I tried to cover it up at first. Still, they were more worried than angry, so that's a plus.

Cody, ironically, has actually dropped a lot of his suspicious attitude towards me. I think the fact that I really wanted to talk about it actually got through to him. Although, looking back, I'm not sure how anyone would take the fact that they're just a cartoon in someone else's world. Still, he's a little more casual now, even if he's still several shades more serious than Joe.

Yolie… hasn't changed surprisingly. She's apparently put the incident out of her mind, and doesn't seem to acknowledge that anything's changed. Well, in regards to me, in any case. With Ken, you can almost hear the little 'pop' noise that comes whenever she lets go of him, which isn't often. I've seen her refuse to let go of his arm when she yells at him. Davis referred to her as a barnacle once. She actually detached from Ken and dragged him off. We're not sure what she did to him, but we do know the screams were painful.

Davis is actually the one I'm the most shocked by. He, I think, really wanted to hear all about what happened to me, the whole story. But instead of being upset with me, like Matt and Tai, he seems to be more set against Gennai and Azulongmon. Seems he doesn't like their forcing me to censor myself. Who knew? If I'd had to guess previously, I would have switched Davis and Yolie's reactions. Shows what I know.

I, on the other hand, in between dodging the older destined and Ken's parents, have been wondering about the Southern Quadrant. Gennai hasn't contacted me with anything, and no news is good news, I guess, but I still worry. She'd pound me for it, but I worry most about Rika. Just because I guess.

And time passed, and I closed on the end of high school, a month left in the eastern quadrant.

* * *

I had run out of school the moment Azulongmon's cry for help reached my head. I arrived at the scene to find a very sore looking Azulongmon being whooped… by an Infermon?

_How is a Digital Sovereign having so much trou…_

Then I saw her. Short black hair, pale face, green eyes… I would have found her pretty if there hadn't been that evil sneer on her face and a _D-Ark_ in her hand?

_What the hell? Isn't she the one the digidestined said…_

"AURORA FORCE!"

Unknown tamer: **DIGI-MODIFY! Taomon's Talisman Spell Activate!**

_Great. She actually knows what she's doing. Just great._

"NETWORK GRENADE!"

This actually knocked Azulongmon out.

_She's a flipping Pro! _

BlackGuilmon, Get ready!

Right behind you Takato!

**Flash  
Digivolution **

BlackGuilmon Flash Digivolve to… BlackWarGrowlmon!

Takato: **DIGI-MODIFY! Power Activate!**

"ATOMIC DESTROYER!"

BlackWarGrowlmon's attack blew through the Infermon's Talisman Spell and hit it in the side, slamming it into the side of the canyon. The girl turned.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

I decided that I didn't like her attitude.

"No one you need to worry about. BlackWarGrowlmon…"

"Right! RADIATION EDGE!"

"The Sovereign's data is mine!"

That one floored me. She wanted to take _Azulongmon's_ data.

"Over my dead body."

"I can live with that."

BlackWarGrowlmon and Infermon faced off, us in front of and shielding Azulongmon. I gripped my good luck charm through my shirt again for reassurance, then ran a card.

Takato: **DIGIMODIFY! Hyper-Speed Activate!**

Unknown Tamer: **DIGIMODIFY! Hyper-Speed Activate!**

Infermon was able to dodge BlackWarGrowlmon's charge just in time, but I wasn't done yet. As BlackWarGrowlmon spun around…

Takato: **DIGIMODIFY! Viral Boost Chip Activate!**

"Now BlackWarGrowlmon! Finish him off! ATOMIC…"

"…DESTROYER!"

Infermon was somehow able to dodge again, going back toward his tamer. I jumped out of the way too. Azulongmon was still unconscious. The sovereign burst into data. I made a hasty decision.

"BlackWarGrowlmon! Load Azulongmon's data. Hurry!"

"Right!"

BlackWarGrowlmon rushed over to do as I asked. I looked over to the girl, only to find a black portal swiftly closing. Seconds later BlackWarGrowlmon was just finishing his data absorption when, from behind me…

"HOW COULD YOU!"

I spun to find the complete set of Japanese Digidestined. Apparently Gennai had been busy.

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"Yeah, right, you bastard!"

"But I didn…"

Mimi, the speaker from earlier, didn't let me finish.

"Palmon!"

**Digivolution **

Palmon Warp Digivolve to… Rosemon!

This was like a trigger. In moments BlackWarGrowlmon and I were standing in front of Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode, Vikemon, Valkyrimon, HerculesKabuterimon, Preciomon, and Phoenixmon.

_What's with them? Oh… _

"Now BlackWarGrowlmon! Finish him off!"

"BlackWarGrowlmon! Load Azulongmon's data. Hurry!"

So, with the canyon walls restricting sight, only letting them hear us…

Oh, crap.

BlackWarGrowlmon, I don't want to fight them, but we're going to have to defend ourselves…

I understand Takato. Let's show them what Tamers can do!

Thanks boy

Before they could get an attack off, I spun and activated the C-Ark, enabling our mega form.

**Biomerge  
Digivolution **

BlackWarGrowlmon Biomerge to… ChaosGallantmon!

I didn't wait for the smoke from the digivolution to clear. They weren't going to listen to me. No one ever does. I struck before they got the chance.

"DEMON'S DISASTER!"

---

AN: For those of you who joined us late and insist that this can't be the end, got into my profile and read 'Lost'. These last fifty chapters are expanded from a single chapter in that story.


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